


Super Danganronpa Bros.

by WiiFan2009



Series: Commissions [7]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: Bunny Kyoko, Byakuette, Carrot - Freeform, F/M, Female Byakuya, Frog Hina, Frog Suit, Gender or Sex Swap, Gold Byakuya, Golden Flower, Hammer Suit, Hammer Toko, Jolly Roger (Super Mario 64), Jolly Roger Bay, Mini Hiro, Mini Mushroom, Naegiri - Freeform, Raccoon Makoto, Racoon Kyoko, Star Racoon Makoto, Super Leaf, Super Mario Bros 2 - Freeform, Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World - Freeform, Togafuka - Freeform, Twilight Princess, Warp Whistle, commission, super crown, super mario odyssey - Freeform, super star
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 83,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26892862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WiiFan2009/pseuds/WiiFan2009
Summary: Having defeated Junko Enoshima, the survivors of the Killing School Life open the doors of Hope's Peak Academy, only to find that they've stepped into the Mushroom Kingdom.  How did they get here?  How will they get back to their own dimension?
Relationships: Fukawa Touko/Togami Byakuya, Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto
Series: Commissions [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721317
Comments: 145
Kudos: 52





	1. Prologue: Goodbye, Despair!  Hello, Mushroom Kingdom!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NotFanFicNet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotFanFicNet/gifts), [Capnii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capnii/gifts).



> This fic was commissioned by NotFanFicNet, and contains art drawn by Capnii. Please read and comment below, and enjoy!

The doors of Hope’s Peak Academy slowly opened, the six survivors of the Killing School Life staring hopefully at the entrance, eager to get their fist look at the outside world. Their hopeful faces turned to shock as instead of the destroyed, despair-filled world that Junko had shown them during Mukuro’s re-trial, they were greeted with bright, clear blue skies and green fields as far as the eye could see.

“So…” Hina asked “…Does this mean that Junko was lying? The world really is peaceful outside?”

Byakuya scoffed “Use your brain, you simpleton. Hope’s Peak Academy was in a major urban prefecture in Tokyo. Wherever this is…it’s clearly NOT in Japan.”

Kyoko pondered “Indeed…but…where did Junko take us? Actually…did she take us here at all? She seemed pretty adamant during the trial about the state of the world. I know we could write off her words as a bunch of lies…but transporting the entire campus to a countryside seems too absurd, even for Junko.”

Seeing the others nod in agreement, Makoto suggested “Well, we won’t learn anything by just standing here. Why don’t we go explore the outside world, whatever it is? At the very least, it’s not polluted, so we’ll be able to breathe just fine, and it doesn’t look particularly dangerous.”

Kyoko nodded “Indeed, besides, I am a little curious to find answers about our current location and how we got here. So, shall we go?”

XXX

“Where…where are we?” Kyoko breathed, baffled as she took in her surroundings.

Rather than a set of actual paved roads with sidewalks, they were walking down a single dirt path, a white and red castle faintly visible in the distance. Various hillsides were strewn across the landscape, some of them having eyes, much to their shock. As if that wasn’t enough, they also saw many fantastical creatures as they continued walking. 

Brown walking fungus with eyes walked in a straight line across the dirt path as they made their way to the hill on their right. Gigantic turtles with green and red shells walked lazily up and down the hill to the group’s left. To their right, more turtles with wings fluttered above them. As if that wasn’t enough, what looked like a ball-and-chain with eyes and a mouth with rows of teeth as sharp as Mukuro’s daggers sat attached to a single wooden post to their left.

As they continued walking, everyone had completely shocked expressions on their faces, struck silent by what they were seeing. Even Kyoko and Byakuya found they had no words to describe the utter confusion on their faces. 

_Clearly we’re not anywhere in Tokyo…or anywhere that’s real…_

By chance, she turned to face Makoto, who was walking next to her. Like her, his expression also displayed shock. Unlike the rest of them, his was a happy shock, a beaming grin on his face as his eyes sparkled, making her raise her brow in curiosity.

“Makoto…why are you smiling?”

Turning to acknowledge her, he ran around in front of them and spread his arms, asking excitedly “Guys, don’t you know where we are?”

As they shook their heads, Makoto pouted and demanded “Oh come on, didn’t any of you play video games when you were kids?!”

“My grandfather didn’t leave me much time for recreation, and he never allowed video games into the house.”

“I had better things to do with my time than spend it in front of a screen playing pointless, mind-numbing entertainment.”

“Why would I play t…trash like th…that?!”

“Umm…I was always busy doing sports with my little brother Yuta, so…”

“Umm…I was always busy developing my fortune-telling skills…”

Makoto fell down dramatically, making the others sweatdrop at his antics before he got up and exclaimed “Oh, come on! You don’t know what you were missing out on! Fine, I’ll tell you…” Makoto took a deep breath before exclaiming “WE’RE IN THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM! YOU KNOW, **SUPER MARIO BROS.?!** ”

Smirking at Makoto’s enthusiasm, Kyoko deduced “I’m guessing that’s a video game you played when you were a kid.”

Makoto chuckled, scratching his cheek as he answered “Well…it is the most popular video game series in the world…”

“Well…since this is clearly your element…” Byakuya pointed at Makoto and declared “I am appointing you our tour guide during out stay in this ridiculous world!”

 _Appointing?!_ Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, and Hiro sweatdropped as they thought _You don’t even have any money anymore…you can’t appoint anyone to anything…_

Kyoko sighed and admitted “He does have a point though…you’re the only one of us who knows this world and how it works, so we’ll need your help if we’re going to make it back home. So…mind giving us a crash course in this…Mushroom Kingdom…while we walk?”

Makoto grinned, taking his place back at Kyoko’s side as he nodded enthusiastically and replied “O…of course! I’d be happy to tell you guys what I know.” As they continued walking, Makoto began “Alright, so those creatures we saw…the walking fungus are called Goombas, the turtles are called Koopa Troopas, the flying turtles are called Paratroopas, and that Ball-and-Chain thing is called a Chain Chomp. They’re all Bowser’s minions.”

“I see…” Kyoko nodded “And who is this Bowser?”

“He’s a giant turtle with a spiked shell that can breathe fire! He’s the bad guy in every game that Mario has to defeat. He always kidnaps the Mushroom Kingdom’s princess, Princess Peach, and Mario has to go and save her.”

“I see…and what kind of ruler is this Princess Peach?”

“Ano…well…she has long blonde hair, she’s tall and wears a pink dress, and she’s very kind and sweet. There’s not a mean bone in her body!”

“I see…and is that her castle in the distance?”

Nodding, Makoto answered “That’s right; our best bet is to see if we can get an audience and explain our situation. Maybe she can use her magic to help us get back home!”

Kyoko smirked and asked “Magic, huh? If she has magic powers on that scale, why does she need to be rescued every game?”

“Um…well…ano…” _That’s a good point, I guess…_ His eyes flashing in recollection, Makoto finally answered “It’s possible that after being kidnapped so many times…Princess Peach may have developed…Stockholm Syndrome and just…lets Bowser kidnap her now…” 

Her eyes widening in shock, Kyoko asked “What? Makoto, what is…Super Mario Bros’s…intended demographic?”

“Well…it’s supposed to be a family friendly game series, so most of them are for kids as young as six.”

“Why…would the developers include a Stockholm Syndrome reference for such a young audience?”

Makoto scratched his cheek and admitted “Well…it’s just a theory I saw on the internet a while back…Nintendo hasn’t said one way or the other that it’s actually true…”

Kyoko closed her eyes in disappointment and sighed “Makoto…I hope you know better than to take everything you read on the internet at face-value.”

Sweatdropping, Makoto thought _Geez, Kyoko, did you have to ruin the fun of game theory for me?_ Sighing, Makoto mumbled “…Let’s just keep walking…”

XXX

“Man, Hifumi would have a field day if he were here with us…” Makoto commented, back to his excited, chipper state after having a good pout.

Toko’s nose scrunched up as she exclaimed “D…don’t even make me th…think about it. He’d probably have all sorts of per…perverted delusions about the P…Princess…”

Everyone else shivered at the image, then shook it out of their heads as quickly as they could.

“So uh…” Hiro started “How much farther until we get to see this Princess? You think she’d be willing to part with some of her treasure? Then I could…OW!” Hiro nursed his aching head, wondering “Ow…what did I…AGH!” He spotted several floating blocks made of bricks, along with one solid brown block, exclaiming in shock “Wh…why are those blocks FLOATING?!”

Byakuya sighed, chastising “Try not to think, you imbecile. Up until now we’ve seen hills with eyes, walking mushrooms, turtles with wings, and a cross between a ball-and-chain and a dog. Are we really surprised to see inanimate boxes floating in midair?”

Rubbing his head, Hiro admitted “Oh yeah…you’ve got a…hey, where’d that leaf come from?”

Everyone looked up; sure enough, a golden-brown leaf was floating through the air, fluttering down at a leisurely speed. Everyone watched, then their eyes widened in shock as it touched the tip of Makoto’s ahoge, causing the both of them to disappear in a cloud of smoke.

“Makoto!” they all exclaimed in shock, worried about the Luckster that had guided them out of Junko’s trap.

“Uh, guys!” Makoto called out through the smoke. “I’m still here…I just can’t see outside of this smoke.”

The others sighed in relief before Kyoko deduced “That leaf must create white smoke upon being touched. Hopefully it’ll dissipate in a little while…Makoto, how are you feeling?”

“Um…I feel fine…maybe a little tingly, but otherwise pretty normal.”

 _Tingly?_ Kyoko frowned, then opened her mouth to respond, only for all their mouths to gape upon the smoke’s dissipation.

_What the…_

Makoto’s head cocked to the side as he asked the stunned group “Uhh, guys…what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost…”

It was Kyoko who spoke first, withdrawing a hand mirror from her jacket and holding it in front of him, urging “Makoto…look at your face…”

Makoto frowned, but obeyed, scrutinizing his reflection until his eyes widened at seeing two brown, pointy tanuki ears equidistant from his ahoge.

“What the…how did I get tanuki ears?!” *Twitch* “Huh?”

Feeling a strange twitching sensation coming from his rear, he turned ninety degrees and looked behind him. Everyone’s eyes widened in shock as they saw that Makoto had grown a raccoon Tail, striped in different shades of brown. Makoto stared curiously as the Tail lightly twitched, his eyes flashing in recognition as his lips stretched into an awe-filled smile.

_Oh…oh…I’m…I’m…_

“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

Startled everyone turned to Hiro, who was shakily pointing his finger at Makoto as he screamed “ALIENS! ALIENS TOOK MAKOTO AND REPLACED HIM WITH SOME TANUKI MONSTER!”

Kyoko put her mirror back in her jacket as everyone else sighed in exasperation, facepalming as Byakuya chastised “Use your common sense, simpleton. Makoto wasn’t abducted; that leaf just changed his form and made him half-Tanuki.”

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” Makoto declared, explaining as he beamed proudly “Raccoon, not Tanuki! I’m now Raccoon Makoto!”

Hina, Hiro, Toko, and Byakuya rolled their eyes at Makoto’s enthusiasm. Kyoko on the other hand had barely been able to process Makoto’s correction as she found herself staring at the transformed Makoto.

 _Those soft little ears…that big, fluffy Tail…he looks so…_ “Cute…”

“Huh?” Makoto turned to face Kyoko, who was walking towards him as though in a trance, making him frown as he asked “Ano…Kyoko…are you…”

“Cute…so…soo…cute…” Kyoko repeated as she reached out with her left hand, running it through the fur of Makoto’s Tail as she smiled softly.

 _Kami…she’s…petting my TAIL?!_ Seeing it start to wag from side to side in rhythm with Kyoko’s strokes, Makoto felt a soft, pleasant sensation flow into his body from the base of his Tail as he admitted _It feels…kind of nice…_

Everyone else sweatdropped at the scene in front of them, Hina, Toko, and Hiro snickering as they saw Kyoko fully focused on petting his wagging Tail, repeating “Soo…cute…”, while Makoto purred as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the attention.

Once the snickering had died down, Hina asked “So um…what can you do as…Raccoon…Makoto?”

Opening his eyes, Makoto rattled off energetically “Oh, that’s easy. I can swing my Tail when I spin to use it as a weapon. I can also use it as a propeller to slow my fall…and if I can gather enough speed, I can even use it to fly!”

“WHAT?!” Hiro, Hina, and Toko exclaimed, while Byakuya simply scoffed.

“Please, Makoto, this is no time to be a comedian. Humans can’t fly, and no cheap Halloween costume can change that.”

 _Please, Byakuya, don’t ruin it. Let Makoto have his fun…_ Kyoko thought as she continued to pet his Tail.

An annoyed, determined look crossed Makoto’s face, a rebellious fire burning in his eyes as he challenged “Oh yeah, well I’ll show you! I’ll…” Makoto paused, looking down at Kyoko who was still petting his Tail, and asked “Ano…Kyoko…would you mind letting go of my Tail for now? I need to show Byakuya that I can fly.”

With great reluctance, Kyoko stopped petting his Tail and let go, stepping back until she was next to Hina, who placed her hand comfortingly on her shoulder and gave the Ultimate Detective a teasing grin. Kyoko sighed before watching with the others as Makoto ran a few feet away from them and stretched his arms out like an airplane.

“Alright…” Makoto began, bending his knees as he chanted with a fake Italian accent “Let’s…a…GOOO!”

He then sped off like a rocket, dashing as fast as he could for a few feet before bending his knees and jumping into the air. Unfortunately, his flight didn’t last, as he quickly sank to the ground once his jump reached its peak, belly flopping onto the grassy dirt.

Everyone sweatdropped, Byakuya muttering “I told you so…you can’t fly, Makoto. So just get over here and let’s continue our way to the castle”

Still defiant, Makoto jumped back up and insisted “No, I can TOO fly! I’m just not used to the Raccoon Tail yet; all I need is practice!”

“…Imbecile…” Byakuya muttered under his breath as Makoto got back into position, running full speed at a longer distance until he finally leaped up into the sky.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times he tried and no matter how much of a distance he covered, the result was always the same; a faceplant in the dirt and sighs of exasperation from the peanut gallery. Tears of frustration streamed down his cheeks as he jumped up and down in a temper tantrum, his Tail swinging wildly.

“It’s not fair! I must have filled my P-Meter to maximum capacity! So why won’t this stupid Tail work! Why can’t I fly?!”

Makoto fell on his rear and hugged his legs, burying his head in his knees as he started to cry, his Tail drooping with his mood as he bemoaned his lack of flight. Byakuya, Hina, Hiro, and Toko sweatdropped at Makoto’s temper tantrum while Kyoko sighed, walking up to him and kneeling at his side. Taking pity on him, she ran her hand down his Tail, petting it in a gesture of comfort. Makoto closed his eyes, smiling and purring as he subconsciously leaned his head on her shoulder while his Tail jumped up into Kyoko’s grasp, eager to be petted in his sour mood.

_Mmm…that…that feels good…thanks, Kyoko…_

Byakuya awkwardly coughed into his fist, causing the two to snap their heads in the former Ultimate Affluent Progeny’s direction as he urged “We’ve wasted enough time tending to your ego, Makoto. Now come on and let’s hurry to that castle. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get home. Your girlfriend can comfort you on the way.”

Makoto and Kyoko blushed as the others began to walk ahead of them. Sighing in frustration at having their moment interrupted, Kyoko stood up and offered her hand to him as he wiped the tears off his face with his wrist.

“I hate to admit it, but he’s right; we really should get going. I can…” Kyoko blushed redder as she offered “I can…keep petting your Tail as we walk…if you want.”

Matching her blush with one of his own, Makoto admitted as he took her hand and let her pull him into a standing position “I um…I guess…I wouldn’t mind if you…kept…kept petting my Tail…”

With a single nod from Kyoko and a happy wag from his Tail, Makoto walked side by side with Kyoko, her hand eagerly petting his fluffy Tail which practically jumped into her touch, making Makoto purr as they leisurely walked behind the others.

XXX

“Ano…Kyoko…we’re here…you can…let go of my Tail now…”

They both blushed as Kyoko removed her hand from Makoto’s Raccoon Tail, all six of them looking up at a mostly white castle with a red roof. Kyoko’s gaze centered on the stain glass window of a beautiful, blonde princess.

“I take it that stain glass window is a depiction of Princess Peach?”

Makoto nodded “Yeah, that’s her alright.”

Byakuya spoke next, telling them “Well we’re not going to get an audience just standing here. Come on, let’s go inside and grace her presence with the magnificence of a Togami.”

“Um…” Hina asked “Shouldn’t Makoto lead us inside? He **is** the expert in this world after all.”

Seeing Kyoko and Hiro nod in agreement, Byakuya scoffed “Please, no Princess would take him seriously dressed in some tacky Halloween costume. It’s best that someone who’s actually dressed like nobility parlay with the royalty of this realm.”

“Th…that’s right…Master’s the op…optimal choice to greet the Pr…Princess…”

“Princess?! Have you returned?!”

Before an argument could arise, a high-pitched shout interrupted their debate, causing them all to turn towards the front door as they saw a little man half as tall as Makoto run up to them. As he tripped and fell in front of them, they noticed he was wearing a mushroom-esque cap on his head, with a headlight wrapped around it. He also wore a khaki explorer’s outfit, red shoes, and a red scarf around his neck, as well as a light brown explorer’s pack on his back.

They all stared down at him curiously as the petit, slightly plump young man got up and smiled bashfully, saluting “Captain Toad at your service, Princess…oh, sorry, thought you were the Princess, sorry about that.”

 _Captain Toad…_ Makoto wondered, his eyes shining in realization as he deduced _Captain Toad from the Super Mario Galaxy games?!_

As Captain Toad let out an embarrassed laugh, the others sweatdropped before Byakuya pushed Makoto forward from behind and decided “I stand corrected. Makoto, you serve as our negotiator; you’ll fit right in with the other freaks.”

“Hey! Don’t be mean!”

“Yeah, be nice!”

Kyoko glared at Byakuya, agreeing with Hiro and Hina while Toko muttered a timid agreement with Byakuya. Makoto sighed and took the last couple of steps on his own, kneeling before Captain Toad and giving a warm smile.

“Hi, Captain Toad, it’s nice to meet you! My name’s Makoto!” Makoto gestured behind him introducing “And these are my friends Kyoko, Byakuya, Toko, Hina, and Hiro.”

Captain Toad’s brow furrowed as he remarked “Those are some strange names…” Captain Toad’s eyes flashed in curiosity as he asked “Oh, are you all from the same world as Mario and Luigi?”

“Well…I don’t know if we’re from the exact same world as them, but we are from a different world. We were leaving school together when all of a sudden we found ourselves in the Mushroom Kingdom. We were hoping we could get an audience with the Princess so that maybe she could help us find a way back home.”

Captain Toad shook his head and apologized “Sorry, but the Princess is out exploring Toad Town with Mario. I thought she had returned early when I heard chatter coming from outside.” Captain Toad’s eyes suddenly shone in realization as he exclaimed “But I think I know how you all got here!”

 _REALLY?!_ Everyone thought to themselves, shocked that this short little man potentially had the answer for how to get home.

Nodding in response, Captain Toad began “Our Mushroom society is powered by the magical energy of Power Stars, but even among the Power Stars, there’s one in particular that possesses extreme power. We call it the Magenti-Star, due to its magenta color. However, its power is as mysterious as it is great; not even our best Toad scientists fully comprehend its power. We were studying it in the castle when, about an hour or so before you arrived at the castle, it started radiating extreme energy.”

“That must have been when we first stepped outside of Hope’s Peak and into the outside world. It must have caused us to travel between dimensions and wind up here.”

Toad shrugged at Kyoko’s deduction and admitted “It’s as good a theory as we can come up with. Anyhow, after it stopped radiating, the Magenti-Star split apart into three pieces and scattered themselves across the Mushroom Kingdom. One in Grass Land, one in Princess Peach’s own castle, and one under the sea in Water Land. If you can find them and reassemble them here at the Castle, we can use its power to send you back to your world!”

Byakuya scoffed “Please, Magenti-Star? Are you plebians seriously buying this?”

“Ma…Master’s right…” Toko agreed “It’s no different than the ga…garbage that Hi…Hifumi would come up wi…with…”

Before Hina and Hiro could be swayed, Kyoko reminded them “We’ve seen floating bricks, turtles that fly, mushrooms that can walk on their own, and in case you need any more proof…” She firmly grabbed the midsection of Makoto’s Tail and held it up for all of them to see, Makoto flinching at the brief sensation as she exclaimed “Makoto has a Tail! Created from a leaf! With cute little ears to boot! How is this Magenti-Star any less believable than what we’ve already seen today?”

“I agree with Kyoko!” Hina declared, admitting “Besides…it’s not like we have any other options.”

“Damn straight, count me in!” Hiro concurred.

“Do you n…not have a m…mind of your own?!” Toko stuttered, pointing at Hiro.

“Of course I do! What am I, an ant or something?!”

“Toko, enough…” Byakuya ordered, making Toko clam up before he sighed “Very well, I’ll play along with this little game. Besides…” Byakuya smirked as he admitted “It’s not every day that you get to partake in such a high stakes activity! Do we collect the pieces and get back home? Or are we forced to stay here for the rest of our lives?”

Everyone else shivered, reminded of his argument with everyone, sans Sayaka, Mukuro, and Leon, back in the library when he expressed excitement at taking part in the Killing Game.

Finally standing up after Kyoko let go of his Tail, Makoto asked everyone “So, are we all in agreement? We’re going to look for the Magenti-Star pieces together?”

Seeing the others nod in agreement, Captain Toad took off his backpack and sifted through its contents, pulling out three identical scrolls and handing them to the group as he explained “If you’re going after those Magenti-Star pieces, you’ll need a map so you don’t get lost. We managed to track down the general location of each Magenti-Star Piece and mark them on your maps. Fortunately, there are Warp Pipes that will take you to the respective locations nearby.”

Kyoko, Byakuya, and Hina nodded as they accepted and opened their maps, noting the three magenta star marks and two green pipe symbols in their general directions.

Curling up her map and putting it in her jacket, Kyoko suggested “We should split up into pairs to cover more ground. Makoto, you and I will go after the Magenti-Star Piece in Grass Land.”

Before he could even nod in agreement, Kyoko grabbed the midsection of his Tail with her hand and dragged him away in the direction of the Grass Land Warp Pipe.

“Ow! Kyoko, that’s my Tail! You’re pulling on my Tail!”

Kyoko either didn’t hear him or ignored his objections as she continued to drag him away and out of view, the others sweatdropping before Hina asked with a teasing tone in her voice “She just wants to have some alone time with Makoto, right?” Seeing the others nod silently, Hina grinned and finished “Good, glad it’s not just me thinking that.” Becoming serious, Hina asked “So…I think I’ll head for the Magenti-Star piece in Water Land…with my Ultimate Swimming Pro talent, it should be a breeze. Who wants to join my team?”

Byakuya scoffed “And get my suit wet? No thank you; I have no desire to go on a swim with you.” Looking at his map, Byakuya smirked and decided “I think I’ll head inside the castle; the home of the Mushroom Kingdom’s monarch is the perfect place for a Togami to begin his search.” He then pointed to Captain Toad and ordered “You. Open the doors for me so that I may enter the premises and begin my search.”

Strapping the backpack back on his back, Captain Toad answered “R…Right away…” as he hurriedly opened the brown door so that Byakuya could strut inside.

“W…wait for me, Ma…Master!” Toko cried out, pulling on her twin braids as she ran after him, Captain Toad closing the door behind them.

That left Hina, Hiro, and Captain Toad standing outside the castle entrance alone.

“Great, I was hoping I could at least get Byakuya…” Hina muttered before calling “Alright Hiro, you’re with me. Come on and let’s get this adventure over with…unless you want to stay here…”

A nervous expression on his face, Hiro nodded “Yeah…I’d rather not chance running into any sharks, or piranhas, or whatever crazy sea creatures this Mushroom Kingdom has…”

“Oh, by the way Hina…” Hina turned to Captain Toad who explained “While you’re out there, I’d recommend keeping an eye out for the Jolly Roger ship lying at the bottom of the sea in Water Land. Rumors say that there’s a lot of gold coins lying in that ship.”

Hiro perked up at the news, uttering “Gold…Coins? Awesome! I can pay off my debts with all those Gold Coins! Let’s go, Hina! To find Gold Coins!”

“…We’re supposed to find the Magenti-Star Piece so we can get home…” Hina sighed, then caved “…Fine, we can look for the Jolly Roger while we’re searching, but I’m not risking my life so you can pay off your debts.”

“YEAH!” Hiro whooped, giggling as he giddily followed Hina, who sighed in annoyance.

 _Why do I get stuck with the greedy, cowardly one who attacked Sakura…_ Hina moaned to herself as she made her way to Water Land’s Warp Pipe, depressed and annoyed that she was probably going to have to bail Hiro out of trouble. _Way to take the fun out of a trip to a freaking WATER LAND!_

Captain Toad watched them leave, now alone in front of the castle as he thought _Good Luck, all of you…we’re counting on you to bring back the Magenti-Star!_


	2. Chapter One: Bunny Kyoko in Bob-omb Battlefield!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In search for their Magenti-Star Piece, Makoto and Kyoko end up in Bob-omb Battlefield. Where could it be hiding? And what dangers will they face in this peaceful warzone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so here's Chapter One of Super Danganronpa Bros! Also, just as a heads up, I'll be taking a brief posting hiatus until Halloween, so just be aware of that. Please read and comment below, and enjoy!

Makoto leapt out of the warp pipe, his hand gripping Kyoko’s as he pulled her out with him. Once they landed on the ground, Makoto let go of her hand, using his to caress and soothe his aching tail. Kyoko’s eyes lowered in guilt at how hard she tugged him on their way to the warp pipe.

“…My apologies, Makoto…I was careless; I shouldn’t have tugged your tail so hard…”

Turning to her he waved his hands in front of her and hastily tried to assure her “Oh no, no, don’t worry about it…it’s better now, really…so don’t worry about it.”

Slightly comforted by Makoto’s assurances that he wasn’t hurt, Kyoko nodded “If you say so…so, any idea where we are now, Mr. Expert?”

Makoto blushed at her wink before coughing into his fist and answering “Well…I won’t be able to say for sure until we start to look around.”

“Agreed.” Kyoko nodded “So, shall we go?”

XXX

“Wow…” Makoto beamed in awe, grinning from ear to ear as they took in the lush green, grassy fields, and clear, sunny blue skies. A few Goombas walked back and forth in straight lines, as well as a Koopa Troopa or two.

“You look like a little boy in a candy store.” Kyoko chuckled at Makoto’s joyful expression, admitting to herself _After he helped investigate those gruesome murder scenes with me, defeated the Ultimate Despair and gave us all hope when all seemed lost…he deserves to be happy…_

Makoto turned to her, his tail wagging as he exclaimed “Of course I’m happy! I never thought I’d end up in Bob-omb Battlefield!”

“Bob-omb…Battlefield?” Kyoko asked, her expression suddenly serious as she realized that this area wasn’t as peaceful as its surroundings had led her to believe. _Although as far as battlefields go…this one is definitely the most peaceful one I’ve ever seen…_

Makoto nodded “Yeah; it’s the first area a player can access in Super Mario 64. It’s a good area for new players to get their feet wet, so I don’t think we’ll be in any real danger as long as we keep our wits about us.”

Kyoko nodded “I see…and why is it called Bob-omb Battlefield?”

“Because of them…” Makoto answered as he pointed ahead of them while they walked, causing Kyoko’s eyes to widen as she observed what her Ultimate Hope was pointing to.

“Are those…walking…bombs?” Kyoko asked as she saw a disorganized group of walking, black bombs with eyes walking in circles.

“Yeah; they’re called Bob-ombs. There are two types; black and pink. The pink ones are good and won’t attack anyone, so we shouldn’t have to worry about them. The black ones however are hostile and will chase after us and light their fuses if they see us.”

Kyoko nodded “I see…and how dangerous are the black Bob-ombs.”

“Well…do you remember the day we first woke up during Junko’s Killing Game and Mondo tried to rip Monokuma apart?”

Kyoko nodded “…Yes…I also remember that I had to tell Mondo to throw it because it was…about to detonate…” Kyoko’s eyes widened as she realized “Wait, so these Bob-ombs are as powerful as the bombs in Monokuma?”

“Well…in the actual Super Mario 64, being in the blast radius wouldn’t instantly make Mario lose a life…but I’m not exactly in a hurry to test it.” Reaching up to touch his Raccoon Ears and turning to look at his Raccoon Tail, Makoto admitted “Besides, if I get hit by an enemy’s attack, I’ll lose my Raccoon powers.”

“I see…yes, we don’t want to chance your life against a Bob-omb’s explosion.” _And you’re too cute in those Tanuki Ears and Raccoon Tail for me to want to give that up unless it’s absolutely necessary!_ Keeping that last thought to herself, Kyoko suggested “In that case, we should keep a healthy distance from those Bob-ombs and run if they get too close.”

Makoto nodded “Yeah, good idea. Thankfully it takes a while after they light their fuse for one to explode, and simply touching one doesn’t hurt, so if one does get too close we can just pick it up and throw it a safe distance away.”

“I see…” _that information may come in handy if we’re in a pinch…_ Kyoko thought, filing the thought away for later. “So…shall we continue looking for this Magenti-Star Piece?”

XXX

“Oh look! A pond!” Makoto pointed at a small freshwater pond and exclaimed “All this walking around has made me thirsty! Come on, let’s go!”

“Makoto, wait up!” Kyoko sweatdropped as Makoto raced off, his spinning tail accelerating his speed as a dust cloud was left in his wake. Kyoko sighed, smiling in amusement as she admitted “I suppose I am feeling a little parched too…” before jogging to catch up to him.

By the time she caught up to him, he was on his knees, splashing his face with water as he gulped some down his throat. Makoto laid back, sighing in relief while Kyoko walked up to him, smiling at his peaceful expression.

“I take it your thirst has been quenched?” She asked teasingly as she laid down next to him, allowing herself to relax and just enjoy the moment since no enemies were in immediate range.

Makoto purred as she softly stroked his tail, which hung out from the side as he nodded “You bet! I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since the morning of Mukuro’s trial!”

Kyoko frowned, biting her lip in guilt at the mention of the trial where she threw Makoto under the bus to save her own life as she swore _I’ll never do that to you ever again!_ as she clenched her fist. Before Makoto could notice, she unclenched her fist and regained her stoic mask as she remarked “I can imagine…you must be hungry.” 

At that moment, Kyoko’s stomach growled, making her blush as Makoto turned his head to look at her with a teasing grin and remark “Seems like you’re hungrier than I am right now. I’m not surprised; you **did** spend longer without food than any of us.”

Willing her blush away, Kyoko sat up, deciding “In any case, there’s no question that we both need food. Stay here, I’ll investigate the immediate area for anything we can use as nourishment.”

Makoto sat up, watching as the now standing Kyoko began to investigate the surrounding grassy area, the Ultimate Detective making sure not to venture too far from their little oasis.

“Hm?” Kyoko’s brow furrowed as she called over “Makoto, come here and look at this.”

“What is it?” Makoto asked as he stood up and walked over to where she was standing. Makoto kneeled down with Kyoko, his brow furrowed as he asked “Is that…a stem?”

Kyoko nodded, observing the long, thin leaves that stuck out of the green center as she remarked “Yes…it looks like a carrot stem. Normally I’d be hesitant about consuming random plants, especially considering what that leaf gave you.” Kyoko glanced at his Tanuki Ears and Raccoon Tail before admitting “However, carrots are perfectly okay to digest raw, and we both need to eat, so it should be okay.”

Makoto reluctantly nodded, trusting her judgment. As she secured her grip around the stem, Makoto began to ponder, memories of his childhood flooding his mind.

 _Carrot…carrot…that sounds familiar…but where…_ Makoto’s eyes widened as one specific memory from his childhood hit him like a brick wall; he tried to shout “Kyoko, wait…”

“What? What is it, Makoto?” Kyoko asked, confused as she pulled the stem out from the ground.

 _…Too late…_ Makoto thought as Kyoko glanced at the item in her hand; a carrot in every conceivable way, except like the hills they saw during their walk to Princess Peach’s castle, this vegetable had two black eyes that stared back at her.

“Does all vegetation here have eyes? And what purpose do they serve?” Kyoko asked, genuinely curious. Before Makoto could answer, the carrot vanished in a puff of smoke, making the even more confused Detective exclaim “Nani?!”

“Kyoko…are you okay?” Makoto asked as she held her forehead in her palm, groaning.

“I…I don’t know…my head feels…heavier for some reason…” Hearing Makoto gasp, she asked “Makoto…what is it?”

Makoto beamed, pointing at her excitedly. Kyoko’s brow furrowed, confused and slightly bashful now that she was the center of attention.

“Makoto…what are you so excited about?”

Makoto grinned as he exclaimed “You have BUNNY EARS on your head! That carrot was an old power-up and gave you BUNNY POWERS!”

Sweatdropping at the sheer absurdity of Makoto’s claim, Kyoko passed it off as a joke, chuckling “Very funny, Makoto. It’s impossible, I can’t have…” Kyoko trailed off, raising her hands to her head, frowning as she felt two soft and velvety appendages sticking out of the top of her head. “…Bunny Ears…What’s…what’s going on?!”

Panicking, she stood up and ran back to the pond, Makoto in hot pursuit as she looked into the pond’s surface, her reflection staring back at her and revealing two white, fuzzy bunny ears with soft pink skin inside, standing diagonally from the sides of her head.

“EEK!” Kyoko couldn’t help but yelp, reflexively jumping into the air, Makoto staring in awe as she practically flew in shock.

“Kyoko! You’re flying!”

“Huh?” 

Looking down after Makoto’s giddy exclamation, she saw that she had indeed yet to return to the ground, her bunny ears flapping to keep her afloat.

 _What the…how did I jump so high?! Is this a function of the Bunny Power-up?! Wait, if I’m still up here, then that means…Makoto can see…EEEEEK!_

Keeping her embarrassed yelp to herself, she couldn’t prevent the pink blush that filled her cheeks as she tugged the hem of her skirt, hoping that her futile effort could at least prevent Makoto from seeing her panties.

Makoto ran up to almost just below her, making Kyoko clutch her skirt tighter as he exclaimed “Kyoko, you’ve already mastered your power-up! You’re amazing!” The Raccoon boy then pouted, muttering “I wish my stupid power-up would work…”

 _This is anything BUT amazing, Makoto! I can’t even get on the ground, and if you step under my shadow, you can see my panties!_ Hiding her true panic, Kyoko called from the sky “…Makoto, I see that you’re having fun, but I need you to tell me how to get down!”

“A…alright, Kyoko, let me think…” Makoto replied, toning down his excitement as he copied Kyoko’s thinking pose. _Now let’s see…how did Mario get down? How to get down…how to get down…_

Some of her panic bled through her voice as she urged “Sometime today would be nice, Makoto…”

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” Makoto exclaimed, holding his head as he tried to think. _Let’s see, this started when Kyoko jumped in the air…wait…jump…jump…I’ve got it!_ His eyes flashing in remembrance, Makoto yelled “Kyoko, I think I’ve figured it out! I think you’re subconsciously still jumping in shock. That power-up works by repeatedly mashing the jump button, so you need to relax and not think about jumping. Once you do, your ears will stop flapping and you’ll fall like normal.”

Kyoko nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, thinking _Okay…stop jumping…stop jumping…stop jumping…_

When she opened her eyes, she saw that the flapping of her Bunny Ears had slowed, allowing her to fall in a glide. Kyoko sighed in relief, releasing her grip on her skirt and smiling as her boots finally touched the ground.

“A…are you okay, Kyoko?” Makoto asked, worried as he ran up to her.

Kyoko nodded “Yes, I am. Thank you for your assistance Makoto.” Makoto frowned as Kyoko’s expression turned serious and she asked reluctantly “Makoto…did you see…” Kyoko’s cheeks dusted pink as she finished “…them?”

Grinning, Makoto nodded, causing Kyoko to blush as red as a cherry as he confirmed “You bet I saw them!” 

_…I was afraid of that…he DID see my panties! Did he…did he like them, or…_

Before Kyoko could say anything, Makoto continued with an excited gleam in his eyes “They were amazing! I never got to see them in action, not even when I would play Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins on my Game Boy!”

 _…What?!_ Confused, Kyoko asked “Makoto…what are you…”

“I’m talking about your Bunny Ears of course! You were amazing, using them to fly and…” Makoto’s cheeks flushed pink, the boy scratching his cheek as he bashfully admitted “You looked…really cute…in those Bunny Ears…”

Embarrassed by the compliment, Kyoko replied “…Oh…so…you didn’t see…” Kyoko’s cheeks turned red again as she finished “…anything else?”

Makoto looked at her, confused as he shook his head “…No…I was just focused on you and your awesome Bunny Ears…” Makoto frowned as he asked hesitantly “…Should I have been focusing on…something else?”

Kyoko’s blush dissipated before she turned her back to him, pouting as she thought _I can’t believe he was so focused on my Bunny Ears that he didn’t take the opportunity to peek at my underwear like any normal teenage boy would!_ “…I wouldn’t have minded if you looked at my panties…” Kyoko mumbled under her breath.

Makoto’s Tanuki Ears twitched, the furry appendages increasing his hearing and allowing him to just barely pick up Kyoko’s mumbling. Makoto’s cheeks flushed pink as he tried to process what she just said.

 _…Huh? D…did she…actually say that?!_ Flashing back to the time at Hope’s Peak Academy where he caved to his hormones and peeped on her and the other girls bathing, Makoto’s cheeks flushed pink as he asked “Ano…what was that last part again…?”

 _He…he heard me?!_ Turning around she saw his Tanuki Ears twitch and realized _…Of course, those cute fuzzy Tanuki Ears must increase his hearing…those cute fuzzy ears and that soft, furry tail…and that totally dense, confused look on his face…they all make him look so cute!_

“Ano…Kyoko…?”

Shaking her head, Kyoko admonished herself _Get it together, Kyoko! You’re here on a mission, and you’ve wasted enough time with this Bunny power-up fiasco, so get serious! You can ogle at how cute Makoto looks as a Raccoon Boy later!_ Coughing awkwardly into her fist, Kyoko regained her stoic mask and dismissed “…Forget I said anything…we need to look for the Magenti-Star Piece. Once we find it, we can rendezvous at Princess Peach’s Castle and grab some food.”

Makoto nodded, thinking _…Maybe my hunger was making me hear things…and Kyoko’s right, we have to find that Magenti-Star Piece…_

“Huh?” Makoto wondered aloud as his Tanuki ears twitched, making him turn and stare off in the distance.

“Makoto?” Kyoko asked, only for the Raccoon boy to stand still, as if he hadn’t heard her. _What could have caught his attention?_ She wondered as she walked around to look at his face, her eyes widening as she saw him completely enraged, his normally docile green eyes burning with fury. _I’ve never seen him this enraged since the Class Trial where we defeated Junko…what could have made him so angry?_

Kyoko turned to look in the direction where Makoto was glaring, only to raise an eyebrow in light shock as she saw what appeared to be a Koopa Troopa with glasses riding a cloud.

“…What…?” Kyoko uttered, trying to keep her voice normal and her panic down despite the fact that this, like nearly everything else she had seen today in this Mushroom Kingdom, defied all logic she had been taught as a Detective. “Makoto…what is that thing…and why is it making you so angry?” _I don’t like that angry expression when it’s just the two of us…I prefer the sweet, kind, happy, adorable Makoto that fills me with hope!_

At last Makoto spoke, informing her with clenched teeth “That…monster…is Lakitu of the Lakitu Bros.” Clenching his left fist while pointing at the Lakitu, Makoto continued to rant “And **that** Lakitu has caused me to die SO many times because of its cruel camera shots!”

Kyoko simply stared at Makoto, his explanation going totally over her head as she could only utter while sweatdropping “…You’re making this up…”

Makoto shook his head and replied “I wish I was, but I’ll forever curse the day that I plugged Super Mario 64 in my Nintendo 64 as a kid…because that Lakitu and his stupid camera was the true villain all along! I swear, Kyoko…all the lives I lost in Tick Tock Clock and Rainbow Ride…that monster cheated me out of so many Power Stars…SO MANY Game Over screens…”

Makoto shuddered at the memory, while Kyoko realized _Ah, I should have guessed it had to do with one of his video games…_ Kyoko’s gaze shifted from Makoto to the Lakitu as she sighed “If you say so…you are the expert in all things **Super Mario** here…” 

Kyoko’s eyes suddenly narrowed on the Lakitu as she saw a jagged, magenta colored fragment clutched in the Lakitu’s hands.

“Makoto…that Lakitu has the Magenti-Star Piece we’ve been looking for.”

“What?!” 

Looking in the direction of her pointed finger and spotting the same fragment that she did, Makoto’s lips stretched into a Cheshire cat grin, unsettling Kyoko as he clenched his right fist and pounded it into his left palm.

“Alright, I’ve waited years to get my revenge!”

Kyoko frowned as she asked “Makoto…what are you…”

Before she could finish, Makoto ran off, a dust cloud left in his wake as he sped off into the distance.

“Makoto!” Kyoko sighed “That boy’s going to get himself in trouble going off half-cocked like that. I’d better go after him…”

XXX

Kyoko panted, finally caught up with the now crouching Makoto as she asked “Makoto…slow down…we need…a plan…of attack…”

Makoto flashed her a smirk and retorted “I have a plan: attack! And this hill is gonna be my ticket to getting my revenge on that stupid Lakitu once and for all!”

 _The…hill?_

Taking a closer look, she saw that Makoto was crouching just behind the hill, the Lakitu’s back turned to him as Makoto peeked just over the hill’s peak.

Kyoko’s eyes widened in realization as the deduced _I see…he’s going to use that hill as cover for a sneak attack!_ Kyoko smiled and thought _I’ve gotta admit…that’s a pretty sound strategy…_

Her smile disappeared however as Makoto leapt from the top of the hill, yelling “SURPRISE, MOTHER-HUMPER!”

Kyoko face-palmed and groaned “Makoto…announcing yourself defeats the purpose of a sneak attack. This isn’t an anime, you goof!”

Just as the Lakitu turned to face Makoto, the Raccoon Boy spun his waist in an effort to smack it with his tail, only for the Lakitu to predictably move its cloud to the right, just out of reach of Makoto’s tail.

Makoto’s eyes widened in shock as he thought _What?! I missed?! Oh no, I’m gonna fall!_ “AAAHHHHHHH!” Makoto yelled, waving his arms and legs wildly in the air as the Lakitu giggled while the slightest bit of fear pooled in Kyoko’s eyes.

“Makoto!” Kyoko exclaimed, about to run and jump after him to try and catch him in midair with her Bunny powers, only to freeze in place when a long, pink tongue burst out of nowhere. _Huh?_

They watched as the tongue wrapped around Makoto’s ankle, suspending him upside-down in mid-air as the gravity caused his hoodie and T-shirt to fall and cover his face, exposing his belly.

Kyoko sighed in relief, watching as Makoto started to squirm before she muttered “What a relief…but what grabbed him in the first place?”

Makoto finally grabbed the hem of his shirt and hoodie and pulled it back to obscure his belly so he could see. Makoto and Kyoko’s eyes gazed in the direction of the tongue that had grabbed him, spotting a cheerful, green dinosaur with a white belly, big cartoonish eyes, round bulbous snout, short tail, red curved spines and soft saddle, short thin arms, and light brown boots on an adjacent hill.

Makoto gasped, beaming in awe as the dinosaur waved at him and retracted its tongue, slowly pulling Makoto over to it before gently setting Makoto down on his back, finally retracting the tip of its tongue into its jaws. Seeing that Makoto was safe and that this strange dinosaur wasn’t going to harm Makoto, Kyoko jogged over to them.

“Makoto…what is that…dinosaur?” Kyoko asked as she helped him to stand up.

Makoto grinned as he exclaimed “Are you kidding?! This is YOSHI! Oh Kami, I can’t believe I’m meeting Yoshi in person!”

“YOSHI!” Yoshi spoke.

“…Is that all Yoshi can say?” Kyoko asked. “If so, it’ll make communication difficult.”

Makoto sweatdropped and answered “…Well, he **is** a dinosaur after all, but he can still understand us. Even if he can’t speak human language, it’s still amazing that we get to meet a real live Yoshi!” Hopping up and down as his eyes twinkled with childlike glee, Makoto asked “Can I hug you, Yoshi?”

_…We’re in the middle of a battle and you want to hug a fictional dinosaur? Priorities, Makoto…_

To her chagrin though, Yoshi opened his arms wide, making Makoto grin with glee as he launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Yoshi in a death grip, while Yoshi returned the gesture with a much gentler grip.

Kyoko sweatdropped before she pouted, grumbling to herself _…Why don’t you ever give ME that kind of excited affection?!_

Kyoko couldn’t help but smile however as Makoto nuzzled Yoshi’s neck with his nose, exclaiming “This is a dream come true! I’ve always dreamed of hugging a Yoshi, ever since I was a little kid and I played Super Mario World!”

 _…It does look pretty cute, but we do have a job to do…_ Kyoko coughed awkwardly into her fist, getting both of their attentions as she pointed out “As cute as it is to watch your dream of hugging a dinosaur unfold…we still have a Lakitu to defeat and a Magenti-Star Piece to confiscate.”, pointing out the sole Lakitu hovering in the distance.

“Oh, right…” At last letting go of Yoshi and reluctantly stepping out of the hug, Makoto asked “Yoshi, would you mind giving us a hand? We could really use the help to take down that annoying Lakitu.”

“YOSHI!” Yoshi exclaimed, flicking his tail up in a silent gesture.

Understanding what Yoshi was trying to say, Makoto grinned as he carefully climbed up on Yoshi’s saddle, muttering “Oh boy oh boy oh boy…I’m riding a Yoshi! I can’t believe I’m gonna ride into battle on a Yoshi! Oh, if only Komaru could see me now…she’d be SO jealous!”

As Yoshi trotted off with Makoto in tow, Kyoko sweatdropped, sighing as she held her hand to the top of her head “…He is such a little boy sometimes…what do I see in him anyway…except for his happy smile that I never got to see as a little girl…and the way he fills my heart with hope even when I’m about to be swallowed by the depths of despair…”

Kyoko smiled as she shook the thought from her head before racing to catch up to them. She stopped in her tracks as she saw a group of Bob-ombs walking nearby.

 _Better make sure to avoid them…don’t want to chance getting too close and having to throw them away…wait…_ Kyoko’s eyes widened in realization as she realized _Throw them…before they…explode…_

The cogs in her brain started to turn, the Ultimate Detective’s lips curling into a victorious smirk as she came up with a plan.

 _Yes…it’s a little risky, but this might actually work…_ She mused, looking up at the Bunny Ears on her head. _And with the advantage of these Bunny Ears, I might just have the element of surprise on my side!_

XXX

“Quick! Spray that way, Yoshi!”

Nodding, Yoshi opened his jaws and sprayed bright, green juice in Lakitu’s direction, only for Lakitu to moveout of the green dinosaur’s aim. They had been going at it for the past ten minutes; Makoto would come up with a strategy, first it was trying to gobble up Lakitu, then it was Flutter-Jumping onto Lakitu, they even tried having Yoshi spit juice at Lakitu. But for all their efforts, all they got was Lakitu’s tongue sticking out at them, causing a vein to bulge in Makoto’s forehead as he grit his teeth.

Makoto took a deep breath, telling himself _Breathe, Makoto…just…breathe…_ Now calm, Makoto closed his eyes and thought _Now let’s see…Kyoko was right; we need to take him by surprise, but he’s already dodged every one of Yoshi’s tricks…_ Makoto’s eyes opened in realization as he deduced _Wait…he’s seen my tricks…and Yoshi’s tricks…but not OUR tricks! I’ve got it!_ Patting the side of Yoshi’s snout, Makoto asked “Hey Yoshi, think you can launch me above him?”

“YOSHI!” Yoshi exclaimed, a determined gleam in his eyes as he nodded, making Makoto grin before Yoshi bucked him off his saddle, launching Makoto straight at Lakitu like a speeding bullet. Lakitu grew wide-eyed, beginning to panic.

“Yeah, that’s right…it’s payback time for all those Game Overs, Lakitu! Let’s see you dodge a speeding Raccoon! BANZAI!”

At the last second, Lakitu smiled and jumped out of his cloud, just in time to miss Makoto, landing safely in the soft nimbus as Makoto panicked, flailing for dear life as he closed his eyes, bracing for impact.

“NO! I ALMOST HAD HIM! I’M GONNA FALL! YOSHI, HELP…Huh?” 

Makoto opened his eyes, staring down as he saw his Raccoon Tail spinning below him like a propeller, slowing his impact enough for him to land safely on his feet.

“Oh yeah…I can slow my fall with my Tail…” Makoto smacked his forehead with his palm as he groaned “Oi! I can’t believe I forgot I could do that! I was so bummed out that I couldn’t fly that I never gave any thought to slowing my fall!”

“YOSHI!”

Makoto turned to see Yoshi trotting up to him with a worried gleam in his eyes, causing Makoto to pet Yoshi’s head and assure him “Don’t worry Yoshi, I’m okay…though I’ve officially run out of ideas…”

Makoto and Yoshi watched as Lakitu hovered over them, laughing at their harebrained plans to take the Magenti-Star Piece from them, holding it up and pointing at it in an attempt to gloat.

Clenching his fist, Makoto yelled “YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS, LAKITU! I SWEAR I’LL FIND A WAY TO BEAT YOU AND GET MY REVENGE FOR HOW YOU HUMILIATED ME! JUST YOU…Huh?!”

*BOOM*

“A Bob-omb?”

As Lakitu shrieked and hung onto his cloud for dear life with his free hand, Makoto heard a feminine voice call out “Need a hand?”

Looking above him, Makoto beamed at the sight of Bunny Kyoko hovering above them, a lit Bob-omb in her hand as she smirked in victory while her Bunny Ears flapped.

“KYOKO!”

Seeing Lakitu start to panic, Kyoko threw her last Bob-omb at the struggling Koopa, the black sentient explosive combusting just as it landed on Lakitu’s cloud. Lakitu shrieked as the shockwave caused by the explosion dislodged it from its cloud, sending it flying up into the sky. Makoto and Yoshi watched as the Lakitu disappeared behind another hill, a faint crashing sound making Makoto’s Tanuki Ears twitch as it crashed. Makoto ran up to Kyoko as she leisurely glided down to the ground, her Bunny Ears slowing down their flapping until at last her boots touched the grass.

“Kyoko, that was amazing! I never would have thought to use the Bob-ombs as a weapon against Lakitu like that! Not to mention using your Bunny power-up to get a height advantage! And the look on his face when that last Bob-omb sent him flying? Priceless! Seriously, you’re so amazing, Kyoko!”

Seeing Makoto hop up and down with excited glee as he praised her while Yoshi trotted over to them, Kyoko blushed as she stuttered “Th…thank you…it was nothing…I just used the element of surprise, was all…” 

Kyoko’s embarrassed, happy mood was interrupted as Yoshi walked up to her and licked her face with his long tongue, making her scrunch her face in disgust.

Wiping Yoshi’s saliva off of her face, she groaned “Gross! My face is covered in dino-slobber!”

Makoto laughed at the scene, making Kyoko pout before he explained with a giggle in his voice “He’s just saying he likes you and wants to congratulate you on your strategy, Kyoko.”

Seeing Yoshi’s puppy…or rather, dinosaur eyes, Kyoko sighed and let it slide, urging “Let’s…go chase after Lakitu…we still have to get the Magenti-Star Piece…”

XXX

“Alright, just a little further and we’ll finally be able to finish Lakitu off and get that Magenti-Star Piece!”

A second later, Makoto’s brow furrowed, the boy suddenly mimicking Kyoko’s contemplative pose as they approached the hill where the Lakitu had fallen.

Surprised, and somewhat worried by Makoto’s change in mood, she asked “ano…what’s the matter, Makoto? Your excitement just went up and walked away…”

Makoto hummed, musing “I…I remember there was something scary around here when I played this area in Super Mario 64, but I’m having trouble remembering exactly what it was…”

Nodding, Kyoko mused “I see…well even if you can’t remember the name…can you remember some details about its general appearance?”

“…Well, I remember something big…with razor sharp teeth…”

*BARK BARK*

The trio suddenly came face to face with a giant Chain Chomp, gnashing its jaws at the trio.

“AAAHHH! CHAIN-CHOMP!”

“YOOOSHHHIII!”

Makoto and Yoshi had screamed in terror, both of them jumping into Kyoko’s arms for protection. All three of them closed their eyes, Kyoko’s grip on Makoto tightening in preparation for the end, only for her to open her eyes after a few seconds to see the Chain Chomp stuck chomping air as it tried to struggle in vain against its six foot chain.

“…Is it normal for a Chain Chomp to just keep trying to attack if its prey is more than six feet away?” Seeing them both nod, Kyoko sighed and dropped the two boys on the ground, ignoring their groans of pain as she pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking _You could have warned us we had no reason to fear being eaten…_.

Adjusting her gaze to the obstacle in front of them, her eyes narrowed at seeing the Lakitu stand behind and to the side of the Chain Chomp, laughing at them and holding up the Magenti-Star Piece as it gloated at their misfortune.

 _…Now I see why Makoto was so annoyed with that thing…if only there was a way to get past that Chain Chomp…wait…_ Kyoko’s eyes widened in realization as she looked down at her boots, then to the Chain Chomp as she exclaimed to herself _That’s it; I can use the Chain Chomp!_

“Kyoko, what are you doing?! That thing’s gonna eat you if you get too close!” Makoto yelled as she calmly walked up to the ravenous Chain Chomp.

“YOSHI!” Yoshi exclaimed in agreement as the two bit their fingers in nervous fear as the Chain Chomp stored up energy in preparation for its next charge.

*BARK BARK*

*BAM*

Makoto and Yoshi’s fearful faces turned into awe-filled grins as Kyoko wound her left leg back, letting it fly just in time to connect a roundhouse kick to the side of the Chain Chomp’s body.

*ARF*

With a cry, the Chain Chomp flew backwards, its chain snapping as it flew into the shocked Lakitu, flattening it into a pancake before rolling down the hill and out of view. Kyoko smirked as she walked up to the now two-dimensional Lakitu, Makoto and Yoshi following close behind her as they watched it flutter off the side of the hill and onto the ground before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

 _…Interesting…when creatures die in this Mushroom Kingdom, their bodies vanish in a puff of smoke, just like Makoto’s Leaf and my Carrot…_ Kyoko shrugged and admitted _…Well, that doesn’t really matter. Now let’s find…_ ”Oh?”

Kyoko watched as the Magenti-Star Piece, which had been separated from Lakitu’s grasp when it got bowled over by the Chain Chomp Kyoko had kicked. Staring at it for a second, she quietly pocketed it in her jacket before turning to see Makoto and Yoshi clapping thunderously at her accomplishment. Once they were done applauding, Makoto ran up to her and embraced her in a vice, his tail wagging in excitement at what he had just seen.

“Kyoko, that was so amazing! The way you roundhouse kicked that Chain Chomp and used it to turn that Lakitu into a pancake?! He never even saw it coming! I’m SO SO SO PROUD of you, Kyoko!”

 _Makoto…he’s…hugging me? He’s proud of me?!_ Blushing, Kyoko closed her eyes and smiled, returning the embrace as she told him “It…it was nothing…” Hesitant to end the moment, the objective part of Kyoko’s mind won out, making her reluctantly release him and, with her cheeks still pink, she suggested “…Well, we have the Magenti-Star Piece now…what do you say we head back to Princess Peach’s Castle to rendezvous with Captain Toad and the others?”

Makoto nodded before turning to face Yoshi, wrapping his arms around the green Dinosaur in a hug and thanking “Thanks a lot, Yoshi! We couldn’t have done it without you!”

“YOSHI!” Yoshi cheered, reciprocating the hug and making Kyoko smile at the cute scene.

Once they separated, Makoto ran over to Kyoko, nudging her from behind as he urged with a smile “Go on, you give him a hug too!”

Seeing Yoshi open his arms welcomingly to her, Kyoko tried to decline “Oh, I’m uh…not much of a spontaneous hugger…”

“Come on, Kyoko, he helped us out with Lakitu. Give him a hug, please?”

Sighing at Makoto’s puppy dog eyes combined with the cuteness of his Tanuki Ears and Raccoon Tail, she caved “…Only because you’re insisting…” before robotically walking up to the dinosaur.

Before she could give him a small hug, Yoshi wrapped her in a vice grip, squeezing her against him and licking her face with the tip of his tongue. Kyoko couldn’t help but let out a giggle as she felt her face covered in Yoshi slobber once more.

“Okay, I’m good, I’m good!” she giggled as she returned the hug.

Makoto grinned as Yoshi finally stopped licking her, releasing her from the hug as she stepped back. To their surprise though, Yoshi didn’t run away to parts unknown. Instead, he crouched, gesturing with his snout to his saddle.

Makoto’s eyes widened in realization as his lips stretched into a gleeful grin before he turned to Kyoko before explaining “I think Yoshi’s offering to let us ride him back!”

“A ride, huh?” Kyoko mused “…I suppose it would make the trip back to the Castle easier…alright, if you think he can carry the both of us, I don’t see why not…HEY!”

Kyoko yelped as Makoto tugged her by the wrist, running up to Yoshi before hoisting her by the waist onto the rear half of the saddle. Makoto then expertly hopped onto the front end of the saddle, wrapping his arms loosely around Yoshi’s neck. 

With his cargo now in tow, Yoshi stood up and exclaimed “YOSHI!” before trotting off at a leisurely pace.

As they rode further into the distance, Kyoko took out the Magenti-Star Piece, staring at it as she concluded “This has been a very…strange day…”

Makoto turned his head to look at the Magenti-Star Piece with her, smiling as he concluded “Yeah…it’s not every day you find yourself in one of your favorite video games…but I’d say it was worth it, wouldn’t you?”

Kyoko nodded before she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on top of his between his Tanuki ears as she admitted with flushed cheeks “As strange as this whole adventure has been…I won’t ever forget it…because you were there to share it with me…”

Makoto blushed, replying “Th…thank you…I liked sharing this adventure with you too, Kyoko…”

Makoto smiled bashfully before Kyoko reached up with one hand to pet one of his Tanuki Ears. Makoto closed his eyes, purring slightly as his tail stood and to the side of Kyoko. Using her hand that was petting Makoto’s Tanuki Ear to solidify her grip on his head, she reached with her other hand to pet his tail, making Makoto purr louder as he enjoyed the attention from Kyoko. The two smiled softly at the tender, private moment as Yoshi continued to leisurely trot along the path back to Princess Peach’s Castle, the green Dinosaur making sure to keep silent so as not to disturb his new friends’ peaceful enjoyment.


	3. Chapter Two: Togafuka Explore Peach’s Castle!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toko and an annoyed Byakuya explore the basement of Princess Peach's Castle. What dangers await them in their search for the Magenti-Star Piece? And will Byakuya find more to Toko than meets the eye?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's Chapter Two of Super Danganronpa Bros, commissioned by NotFanFicNet. Just as a heads up, after this, I'm taking a posting break for a few days while I write up more fics so I can have enough pre-written to keep up a daily posting schedule. Please read and comment below, and enjoy!

Byakuya strutted into Peach’s Castle as if he owned the place, looking around at the black and white checkered tiles and single sun design on the floor, as well as red carpet-lined staircases and walls decorated with artwork resembling grassy hills, bright blue skies, and white clouds with faces.

Byakuya frowned as he remarked “This Princess Peach’s sense of interior design is as wacky as the rest of this crazy world. That being said, it **does** somewhat resemble one of the Togami mansions.”

Byakuya closed his eyes and tried to remember which one, only for his memories to come up hazy, making him frown with disappointment.

Shaking his head, Byakuya shrugged “Well, not like it really matters. Junko likely destroyed it during the Tragedy. Seeing as how I’m the last of the Togami line.” Byakuya clenched his right fist in anger as he swore “But in the name of my family, I vow that like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I will bring the Togami Empire even greater glory than it’s ever known. By the time I’m done, Makoto will finally stop idolizing this stupid Mushroom Kingdom, and start idolizing me and the Togami Empire. And then…” Byakuya smirked as he finished monologuing “Then I will spit on Junko Enoshima’s grave.”

As Byakuya started to imagine all the ways he would have tortured Junko Enoshima to death had she not committed suicide by execution, a feminine squeal brought him out of his thoughts. Grimacing, he looked over his shoulder to a beaming Toko, the former Writing Prodigy looking around at the castle walls.

_Wow! Whoever created this dumb Super Mario game certainly had good taste in castles! It’s exactly what I imagined the castles in my romance novels looking like when the Princess marries her handsome prince! I suppose staying here wouldn’t be so bad, if Master and I could get married in this castle…_

Drool dripped from her lips, disgusting Byakuya as Toko entered one of her fantasies.

XXX

Toko cowered in fear, dressed in an uncharacteristically frilly purple Princess dress, cowering in fear as a half black and half white dragon with a jagged red eye roared in her face, its jaws threatening to devour her.

“AAAAHHHHHHHHH! Sir Togami, I beseech ye, please save me from this terrifying Monodragon!”

Toko felt a breeze of wind and held her dress down in front of her crotch so that her panties wouldn’t be exposed as a gallant knight with blond hair rode in on a white horse. Encased in metal armor from head to toe, he smiled gallantly as he readied his lance at his side, staring down the Monodragon with a death glare.

“Pr…Prince To…Togami…” Toko stuttered as Byakuya charged forward, unfazed by the Monodragon’s terrifying roars as his horse galloped towards the beast.

Princess Toko smiled in relief as Prince Byakuya’s lance impaled the Monodragon, the beast letting out one last deafening roar before it slumped at his feet, the Prince smirking as he got off his horse and turned to face his Princess.

“It’s gone, my love.” Byakuya assured her with a surprisingly gentle tone. “The foul Monodragon shall terrify thee no longer, my beloved Princess Toko.”

“Prince Togami!” Toko cried, tears of joy streaming down her face as she ran into Byakuya’s embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close.

As she looked up at him, she felt his metal-covered hands cradling her cheeks as he wiped away her tears with his thumbs and continued to close the distance, puckering his lips in preparation for their kiss.

 _This is a dream…a dream come true! My Prince saved me form the Monodragon and said he loves me! And now he’s going to kiss me!_ Toko swooned as she craned her head, closing her eyes and puckering her own lips so that she could return his kiss.

_Nothing could ruin this moment!_

“Snap out of it!”

XXX

“Huh?” Toko exclaimed as she looked around, shaking as she saw an annoyed Byakuya. _Oh no…I slipped into one of my fantasies again…_

“Get your head out of whatever gutter you lodged it in, Fukawa. Now’s no time to indulge in your ridiculous fantasies. We have work to do.”

Toko gasped, hugging herself as she breathed “You…you said **we** …as in…the two of us. We’re working together…together…”

Toko drooled, beaming as she slipped into another fantasy, only to come out of it once Byakuya sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, admonishing “If you can’t take this seriously, then go frolic with Makoto. I’m sure he’d love your enthusiasm. I don’t care what you do, just leave me be!”

Toko paled, her arms falling to her sides as she thought _Ma…Master wants me to le…leave? He’s r…right…I have to take this se…seriously_! She slapped her cheeks with her palms before standing straight and saluting Byakuya, declaring “I’ll follow any and all of your o…orders! Right down to the ex…exclama…mation point!” _I don’t care what it is, as long as he’s the one ordering me around!_ Toko thought as she blushed and giggled to herself while slipping into one of her fantasies. _NO! Get it together, Toko! You have to take this seriously!_

Toko settled into a more serious expression, causing Byakuya to glance curiously at her as he thought _Well…perhaps she can take things seriously after all. I guess we’ll find out…_

Filing the thought away for later, Byakuya took out the map and analyzed it, telling her “It appears that the Magenti-Star Piece we’re looking for is in the Castle Basement.” Rolling it up and putting it back in his pocket, Byakuya smirked as he remarked “The game is afoot, and it should be quite the interesting one indeed.” Now serious, Byakuya ordered “Let’s go” before circling over to a simple wooden door and opening it.

“Ah! Wait for me Ma…Master!” Toko exclaimed as she hurried after Byakuya before he could close the door on her.

As the two of them walked down the red carpet staircase and approached a double-wooden door, Toko looked around and commented “I really wi…wish I had brought a pen and no…notepad with me before we left Ho…Hope’s Peak…”

Byakuya sighed before he glared at her and chastised “Keep your perverted fantasies to yourself, won’t you? Don’t even think of writing them down.”

 _My fa…fantasies?! How da…dare he! I’m taking this seriously!_ Toko fretted as she returned Byakuya’s glare for once in her life.

Byakuya raised his brow, intrigued by Toko’s uncharacteristic defiance as he wondered _She’s actually annoyed with me? That’s…unexpected. I always thought she’d be the only one to call me the Ultimate Perfection no matter what I said or did…_

Toko pointed at Byakuya and told him “For your information Togami, I wanted to take notes on the castle’s architecture so I could reference it for my next novel!” Toko fiddled with one of her braided ponytails, somewhat embarrassed as she confessed “When we get back I…I want to start writing again. And I…I never thought I’d get to be in an actual castle, so I want to share with my readers just how wonderful it feels to be walking in one.”

 _…I’m surprised…I never thought there’d be more to Toko than a crazy, obsessed stalker. This is…a pleasant surprise, seeing her stand up to me with such determination._ Hiding his admiration, Byakuya mused “I see…” before filing the thought away and ordering “We’ll worry about that later, after we get the Magenti-Star Piece. According to the map, we should be in the basement once we open these doors.” He opened the doors and ordered “Well, come on, Toko.”

Toko beamed, nodding energetically as she exclaimed “Yes Ma…Master!” before she hurried to follow in lockstep with Byakuya.

 _Well, guess that forcefulness of hers wore off…_ Byakuya thought, disappointed before he admitted _Still…it was interesting, seeing her show a little backbone…_

XXX

“Bunch of lazy Toads…shouldn’t they be roaming the halls and doing their j…jobs?” Toko scowled as she and Byakuya walked through the empty halls.

In a rare show of agreement, Byakua nodded “Indeed. Such sloth behavior would be intolerable if this were a Togami Castle. If I were the one in charge instead of this Princess Peach, any and all slackers would be fired. Any servants in my employment need to be willing and ready to do their jobs at the snap of my fingers.”

“Oh, Master…an authoritative leader like you is exactly what our world needs to rebuild once we get back! No matter what, I’ll be honored if I get to work under your leadership!”

For once not annoyed by Toko’s gushing, Byakuya nodded “I suppose I can mark that as correct.” Byakuya clenched his fist as he vowed “Once we get back, I will personally eradicate the Despair that Junko Enoshima left in the wake of her death…” Byakuya sighed before he confessed “Loathe as I am to admit it…I can’t do it alone.”

Toko’s eyes widened as she thought _Master…you…you really…_

Toko’s hopes were dashed as Byakuya finished “Both Kyoko Kirigiri’s intellect and Makoto Naegi’s boundless optimism will be integral to bringing the world back to normal, along with my authoritative leadership.”

 _What about me?!_ Toko opened her mouth to protest, only to fall silent as she realized _What about me? What did I do to help at all? Nothing, that’s what. Hell, I don’t even remember the last half of the final trial, because SHE was the one in control. SHE has been far more useful to the others than I’ve ever been. Even that idiot Hagakure is more useful to Master than I am. I’m…useless…_ “…Oof!”

So lost was Toko in her self-pity that she failed to notice Byakuya had stopped and bumped into him. He turned around, glaring at her as he opened his mouth to scold her for not paying attention.

*Squeak*

Byakuya turned around, Toko scurrying to his side to get a better view of where the squeak noise came from. Finally looking at their feet, they sweatdropped as they took in the sight of a small yellow rabbit with dopey eyes.

To their surprise though, the rabbit could talk, as it cocked its head to the side and wondered “Who are you two? And what are you doing in the Castle Basement?”

“Ekk! It t…talked!” Toko stammered at the curious rabbit.

“With everything we’ve seen today, **that’s** what freaks you out?” Byakuya deadpanned, annoyed again at Toko.

Before their argument could continue, the rabbit shrugged “Whatever, you dolts can do whatever you want. I don’t have time for you, I’m late. I’m late. I’m late for a very important date.”

Toko glared at the rabbit, while Byakuya scoffed _This little rabbit that I could crush under my heel thinks it’s better than Byakuya Togami?_ Byakuya chuckled “The nerve of you, proclaiming that you’re above me. Listen well, rabbit…”

“Mips.” The rabbit interrupted “My name is Mips.”

“…Very well, Mips. Listen well, for I am Byakuya Togami, sole remaining heir to the Togami Conglomerate, destined to lead the world in a new Togami Empire. The Princess of this world is nothing but a common peasant compared to me.”

Mips sweatdropped and replied “I’d watch that tone if I were you, Togami. It reeks of arrogance, and you’re obviously a fool for putting yourself above Princess Peach.”

No longer amused by Mips, Byakuya’s eyes blazed with fire as he opened his mouth to argue before he was interrupted by a “No, that’s wrong!” 

Both Byakuya and Mips looked over at Toko, surprised to see her pointing at Mips, and giving a very good impression of Makoto during the Class Trials.

“Byakuya Togami isn’t anything like a d…dolt! He had to shed blood, sweat, and t…tears to get to where he is today! You will never understand what it means to be above a T…Togami! Master will lead our world out of the depths of despair and revive the Togami Empire like a ph…phoenix from the ashes!” _…How does Makoto give such long-winded speeches without losing his breath?!_ Toko wondered as she panted, out of breath from her passionate, if somewhat disfluent speech.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, again caught off guard by Toko’s backbone. Despite his nearly reflexive disgust for Toko’s obsessive praising of him, he found that at least this time, he couldn’t find the heart to be angry with her.

Byakuya glanced at her, giving her a brief smile which nearly made her swoon, her cheeks flushed pink as she thought _Master smiled at me…MASTER SMILED AT ME!_

Byakuya turned back to face Mips and told it “What my employee says is true, and you would do well to remember it. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Mips just stared at them, unimpressed by Toko’s speech as he shrugged “Whatever…like I said, I’m late for a date with a very pretty bunny. I even got her a gift!”

Byakuya and Toko’s eyes widened as Mips used one of his ears to reach behind him and reveal a magenta-colored star piece in its grasp.

 _The Magenti-Star Piece! And this little rabbit has it!_ Scowling, Byakuya pointed at Mips and demanded “Alright, Mips, I demand that you hand over that Magenti-Star Piece immediately.”

Mips merely winked and hopped around, wagging his tail at them and teasing “You want it? You’ll have to catch me first! I warn you though, only that plumber Mario has ever caught me before.”

An angered Toko pointed at Mips and exclaimed “How dare you t…tell us what to do! I‘ll get it from you my…myself!”

Mips merely chuckled “Well, good luck!” before hopping in one place, taunting the Ultimate Affluent Progeny.

Byakuya moved to run after Mips, only to stop at the sight of Toko’s arm in front of him.

 _…Brave of her, I’ll admit, but this is too important to risk her messing up._ “…Move.” He ordered, though without his usual venom.

“N…no…” Toko stammered, feeling her eyes getting misty.

Byakuya’s eyes widened in shock before he asked “What…what did you say?”

Toko merely turned to face him, revealing tears streaming down her face as she insisted “I…I want to get it myself!”

Still in shock, Byakuya retorted “If this is part of some futile attempt to live out one of your fantasies…”

“This isn’t part of some fa…fantasy! And I’m not doing it so you’ll l…love me either! I just…I just want to be u…useful to everyone!” Byakuya stared at her curiously as she explained “I didn’t contribute much during the Killing Game. Nobody would have cared if I had d…died. I don’t want to be the girl who’s only good for being H…HER when you need a serial ki…killer!”

 _Toko…_ Byakuya thought as he processed her feelings, a far cry from how he would dismiss them before Sakura’s death.

Toko begged as she clasped her hands together “Please, Master! Trust me to capture that Mi…Mips!”

Byakuya sighed and admitted “Well…you bring up a good point…and if there’s one thing I have to admire about you, it’s your newfound determination.”

Toko gasped “Ma…Master, you really…”

Byakuya nodded, looking at her respectfully as he handed her a handkerchief from his jacket and agreed “Go…get that Magenti-Star piece from Mips once you wipe your eyes.” 

As Toko beamed and nodded before wiping her eyes with the handkerchief, Byakuya crossed his arms over his chest and glanced away from her.

In an attempt to save face, he told her “Don’t get the wrong idea. I just don’t want to get my suit wet trying to run through all this water. I swear, that Princess Peach should really make Mario fix the plumbing in this kami-forsaken castle.” With one last look, Byakuya instructed “Now, fulfill your promise and get that Magenti-Star Piece from Mips, and don’t make me repeat myself.”

“Th…thank you…” Toko whispered as she bowed respectfully, a determined fire in her eyes as she turned around to glare at Mips, who was still hopping in place.

“Are the waterworks done yet? That speech of devotion was absolutely pathetic, and you’ll never catch me.” Mips stated, bored as he hopped through the corridors.

“Sh…shut up. I’ll get you, just you w…wait. GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Toko yelled as she charged after Mips, pumping her legs as fast as she could to close the distance between them.

XXX

“Gah!” Toko yelled as Mips yet again evaded her pursuit, much to her frustration.

Byakuya watched from the distance as the game of cat and rabbit continued, sighing as he watched her tumble for the tenth time.

_I knew I should have chased after it myself…still, I’ve got to give her credit for her determination. If she would simply stop being such a perverted stalker…she might even be tolerable to be around…like Makoto…_

Filing the thought away for later, he watched as Toko just barely missed Mips, getting more and more impressed with how much closer her tumbles were.

Toko groaned in pain as she stood up, reasoning _Alright, obviously I’ll never catch this vermin rabbit by running. I need to cover some ground and get ahead without Mips seeing me. But how…I know! I’ll jump over it! Mario is a platforming game after all!_

With her determination reinvigorated, Toko dashed off, getting a running start before flipping over Mips, tapping into Genocide Jill’s acrobatic capabilities.

 _Yes! Just a little more and I can…_ “OW!” Toko groaned as she felt her head collide with something hard, halting her momentum and causing her to fall to the floor on her belly.

Byakuya sweatdropped as Toko groaned and looked up, frowning at the brown block above her.

“Great! Who put that b…block in here and made it in…invisible?!” 

Before she could ponder further, a simple black helmet jumped out of the block and fell perfectly on Toko’s head, making a puff of smoke surround her.

As she started coughing, Byakuya flashed back to when Makoto got his Raccoon Powerup and realized _That must have been one of those powerup blocks. But what did Toko get?_

After a few seconds, the smoke cleared, revealing Toko groaning as she stood up. Instead of her dress, Toko was now wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt with purple overalls and a black shell strapped to her back, in addition to the black helmet covering her head.

 _What the…_ Byakuya and Toko thought as they blinked at her new outfit, only for their attention to be diverted to a sweating and whimpering Mips.

Turning to Toko, Byakuya ordered “Toko, that helmet was a powerup! Figure out how it works and use it to capture that vermin Mips!”

Toko saluted “Yes Ma…eek! What did I just do?” Toko shrieked as she found a hammer materialized in her right hand.

“Aw man, those Hammer Suits are the worst! They give me such a headache, literally!” Mips whined before his eyes widened as he realized with a bashful expression “Oops…I probably shouldn’t have told you that, huh?”

Toko’s eyes widened as she realized _Oh, this suit lets me summon hammers. Sounds stupid, but let’s try it again._

She raised her left hand and, as if by magic, an identical hammer appeared in her fist. 

She glanced at her twin hammers and shrugged _This is still dumb, but I won’t complain now that I have a weapon other than my scissors._ Smirking slyly, she stared down Mips and declared “I’m gonna flatten you, you little vermin!”

Mips shrieked as Toko threw one hammer before the other, bouncing out of the trajectory before Toko summoned more hammers and shouted “Who’s laughing now, you obnoxious v…vermin!”

“AAAAHHHHHH!”

As Toko continued to chase after Mips and throw hammers at him, Byakuya watched their renewed game of Hammer Girl and Rabbit, his eyes glued to her posterior with a light of intrigue. Although he would never admit it publicly, Byakuya was still a hormonal teenager, and could appreciate physical beauty.

 _She…she looks nice in trousers…it shows off her smooth butt…_ Byakuya admitted to himself as Toko tripped and fell again, her butt pointing straight in the air. _Interesting…Kyoko’s legs are smoothy and slim; Makoto has no idea how lucky he is to have a girl with those assets crushing on him. Then there’s Hina…at first glance she may be a bit ditzy, but she has a hidden intelligence that would be foolish to underestimate…not to mention her large boobs._

_And that brings us to you, Toko…your hidden determination and your mighty rear give you a certain desirability I never noticed before…probably because I was so put off by your stalkerish tendencies…then again…I wasn’t that bothered by the attention…_

Byakuya continued to watch Toko, impressed with her determination as she got back up and started chasing after Mips again, tossing hammer after hammer as each one just barely missed Mips.

_With her newfound determination, her undying loyalty…and her cute side that I somehow missed…perhaps Toko is someone worthy of spending their life with me and bearing an heir. I’ll just have to groom her into the role…which shouldn’t be too hard._

“Watch out!” Toko shrieked, shaking Byakuya out of his musings.

His smirk vanished as he saw one of Toko’s hammers flying right at him, forcing him to quickly sidestep the projectile and tell her “Watch where you’re throwing those hammers!”

“S…sorry, Ma…Master! I’ll be more ca…careful, I pr…promise!” Toko apologized profusely before resuming her chase, screaming “You’ll pay for making me almost hurt Ma…Master!”

As he watched Toko continue to chase after Mips, Byakuya filed away his “Future Wife Toko” musings for later and realized “She…might need a little help if we’re going to catch that vermin and get the Magenti-Star Piece. But how…”

Byakuya suddenly looked up, noticing a yellow ? Block as his eyes widened in realization.

“It’s the same kind of block that gave Makoto that Raccoon Powerup, and what gave Toko that Hammer Suit. If they could get powerups from these blocks, then I can too!”

Byakuya adjusted his position so that he was standing underneath the block and jumped, hitting it with his fist. As he landed on the ground, he watched as a crown with a pink top and eyes popped out and landed on the ground at his feet.

_A crown with eyes…not the strangest thing I’ve seen today. In any case, it should bestow upon me great power…perhaps I’ll gain the ability to rule over people or throw crowns at my enemies…whatever it does, it will definitely be interesting!_

Byakuya chuckled as he picked up the crown and placed it on his head, his smirk turning into a frown as he was covered with white smoke.

 _Must all these powerups cover us with smoke?_ Byakuya thought, annoyed as he tried to swat the smoke away with his hands.

Once the smoke cleared and Byakuya stopped coughing, he looked around, seeing Toko and Mips stopped in their tracks, their eyes widened in shock as they stared incredulously at him.

“What the hell are you two gawking at? Toko, go capture that infernal…ver…min…” Byakuya trailed off, hearing his voice become squeakier and more feminine. _What the…what the hell happened to my voice?!_

He decided to look down, his eyes widening in shock as he saw his suit was replaced with a black dress.

_What the…this isn’t the first time I had to wear a dress, but that was when I had to assume the alias of Polaris P. Polanski. So why am I wearing one now…wait…_

Byakuya’s eyes narrowed as he inspected himself further. They widened again at the sight of a rather large bulge on his chest.

 _What the…_ He realized _I have…I have…BREASTS?!_

Byakuya immediately tried to feel around his crotch, only to find the usual equipment completely missing. His…her eyes widened as she realized she was now a woman.

“What kind of power-up is this? How is transforming into a Byaku…Byaku…Byakuette at all helpful?!”

Toko merely stared at the beautiful Byakuette, feeling her heart pound within her ribcage at the beautiful woman with long, blonde hair that was previously Byakuya Togami.

“Wha…what?” Toko felt her cheeks flush, causing her to admonish herself _B…but I can’t find women attractive…can I…?_

While Toko was wrestling with the question of her sexual orientation, Mips stared lovingly at Byakuyette, his eyes turned into anime hearts as he exclaimed “WOW! Now THAT’S a cute bunny! Darling, how would you like to go hopping with me?”

Byakuette’s nose scrunched in disgust as she pointed at Mips and exclaimed “Weren’t you on your way to a date?! And I was just a man before I put on this forsaken crown!”

Mips merely shrugged “Eh, I don’t discriminate on the basis of gender identity. I may even prefer a cute guy who can pass off as a pretty girl…and you’re WAY prettier than that hag of a bunny I was going to meet.”

Mips winked, making Byakuette cringe as he hopped over to her, his eyes focused on Byakuette’s plush breasts. In a moment of panic, Byakuette looked over to Toko, who was staring at her with a blush on her cheeks, and frantically snapped her fingers in an effort to get her attention.

 _Huh?_ Toko thought as she shook her head and looked over to Byakuette, watching her curl her hands into fists and place one on top of the other before swinging them down repeatedly. _O…Oh! Master…Mistress…whatever…wants me to knock out Mips with a hammer while he’s distracted!_

Mips merely grinned perversely at Byakuette and swooned “Mmm…that thing you’re doing with your hands is really hot! Are you showing me how you want me to do you?”

Steam whistled out from Byakuette and Toko’s ears and they flashed the most angry and annoyed expression they could muster as they heard Mips’s perverted suggestion

Toko decided _That’s it, he’s going down!_ before materializing a hammer in her hand and stealthily walking over and raising the hammer over her head in preparation for her strike.

“Why don’t you come with me to my burrow, sweetie? I promise to show you a good ti…OW!”

*BONK*

Toko finally brought the hammer down on Mips as hard as she could, making the rabbit wobble for a few seconds before he closed his eyes and collapsed, dropping the Magenti-Star Piece as Toko panted, her fury now leaving her system since Byakuette’s perverted fan rabbit was out for the count.

Once she calmed down and dropped the hammer, the Magenti-Star Piece flew into Toko’s now free hands, making her eyes widen in disbelief before her lips stretched into a beaming grin.

“YES! I DID IT! I GOT THE MAGENTI-STAR PIECE! I WAS USEFUL! I WAS USEFUL!”

Byakuette sweatdropped as Toko jumped for joy, but couldn’t help a smile as she thought _She really is cute when she moves so gracefully like that, and she proved her worth by getting the Magenti-Star Piece._ Reminded of their success, Byakuette coughed into her fist, catching Toko’s attention and interrupting her happy dance as she mentioned “I hate to interrupt, but we have to rendezvous with Captain Toad and the others.” _And find a way to get me back to normal Byakuya. I don’t know how much longer I can tolerate having my gender bent…_

Toko hesitated for a split second, her conflicted feelings regarding Byakuette’s new gender as well as her own sexual orientation catapulting to the front of her mind before she saw Byakuette walk away.

“Ah! Master…Mistress! Wait for me!”

XXX

As they walked through the halls of the castle, Byakuette glanced at the Magenti-Star Piece in Toko’s hands, then to Toko herself. She frowned at the conflicted expression on Toko’s face before coming to a decision.

“What’s bothering you?”

“Huh?” Toko looked at Byakuette, startled out of her thoughts by the blunt question and asked in a panic “N…nothing’s wr…wrong…Mas…Mistress…”

Byakuette shot her a suspicious look and asked “Don’t make me repeat myself. Is it because I’m now a woman? Are you jealous of my perfect feminine body?”

Byakuette’s teasing worked; Toko circled around and walked up the stairs, turning back around once she was one step up so that she was eye level with Byakuette.

Toko shot her an annoyed glare, complete with angry eyes as she mustered all the speech fluency she could and explained “I remember, you know. I remember how mean you were to me because of my delusional fantasies of a romantic future with you. I may be delusional, but I’m not a moron. Deep down, I know that it’ll never happen.”

Byakuette looked curiously at Toko, confused at her confession before she asked “Elaborate, please.”

“I know full well that you’re an asshole. You made that abundantly clear when you set me up to take the fall during Chihiro’s murder trial. Framing me for murder just so you could make it more exciting and test Makoto’s abilities as an intellectual rival…that was a real dick move on your part.” Toko sighed and admitted “But it was also my fault for telling you about HER in the first place.”

_…So her words back then about hating me were genuine…and part of her still feels that way even after how much she’s sung my praises after the fact?_

Intrigued, Byakuette opened her mouth to encourage Toko to continue, only to be cut off as Toko explained “I told you my secret as a sign of trust. I trusted you, I trusted Byakuya Togami, and I hoped that by extending a sign of trust, you would in turn trust me, and maybe it might have lead to something more.” Toko blushed in embarrassment and muttered as she looked at the Magenti-Star Piece “Of course, it’s my fault for giving in to such a grand delusion.”

She then turned to face Byakuette, a serious gleam in her eyes as she continued.

“I know that our upbringings were about as far apart as you can get. You had to work hard to become the rightful heir to the Togami Empire. The only thing we have in common is that I didn’t exactly have a warm and loving childhood either.”

Byakuette looked curiously at Toko and nodded for her to continue.

“Both of my Moms wanted different things from me, and my half-sister died stillborn. Writing love stories was my only outlet, my only way for me to keep my sanity. Of course, that eventually gave bith to HER. She used to just be an imaginary friend, you know. Someone to talk to who wouldn’t judge me. Then of course, she became my violent split personality that will be a headache for the rest of my life.”

Byakuette merely nodded, silently agreeing with the former Writing Prodigy.

“To be honest…there are parts of my life that are just missing…and that’ll probably continue until I’m either an old hag or a rotting corpse. And not knowing whether or not I was in control…that terrifies me every single time…” Toko looked at the Magenti-Star Piece, her eyes starting to become misty as she asked “Is it any wonder I’m so screwed up?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she turned to Byakuette, now crying as she confessed “I just wanted one shining light in my life. I wanted you to be that light…but now that I know how you treat other people, the people who love you…you’re just a blight!”

Byakuette couldn’t help but wince, hurt by Toko’s confession.

“I’m a slave to my love for you…even if you’re now a girl, I still love you and would do anything for you. Because…we’re kindred spirits in a way.”

Toko stared into Byakuette’s eyes, the transformed Affluent Progeny returning it with a blank stare of her own. 

_…Great, she probably thinks I’m a simpleton. What a waste of time, I never should have…Huh?_

*Pat Pat*

Toko looked up, gasping as she watched Byakuette patting her head in comfort, unable to believe this uncharacteristic display of affection.

Before she could question it, Byakuette told her “You should be more independent and stop praising me like a deity. You’re more interesting as an independent woman than you are as a devoted follower. I’d…like to see this side of you more often.”

 _Mist…Byakuette…_ Toko nodded, wiping her eyes on one of her wrists as Byakuette smiled and walked past her. Toko clutched the Magenti-Star Piece and thought gleefully _Finally! A breakthrough! If I play my cards right, Byakuette could finally be mine!_

Toko began to slip into one of her fantasies, standing in place and dropping the Magenti-Star Piece on the ground as the castle halls started to fade away.

XXX

Gentle, feminine hands started to caress Toko’s cheeks as their owner pulled her into a passionate kiss, Byakuette’s soft tongue prodding her lips open before slithering in Toko’s mouth to lash at the Writing Prodigy’s own tongue.

 _By…Byakuette…_ Toko thought as she moaned, feeling Byakuette’s hands caressing up and down her sides.

She reciprocated the loving gesture as their hands started to explore, first caressing each other’s plush rear ends, then moving up to cup and grope their breasts.

 _Ohh, Byakuette…_ Toko thought as she felt Byakuette’s thumbs caress her nipples through her clothes, then moved her thumbs in small circles to caress Byakuette’s nipples through her dress.

The transformed Affluent Progeny moaned in pleasure, finally breaking their kiss to look her in the eyes as she continued to moan.

“Toko, wake up!”

XXX

“Huh?” Toko exclaimed, the castle walls reappearing as she turned around to see Byakuette staring at her with a neutral expression.

“D…did I have a de…delusion again?” Toko chuckled, kicking herself for slipping back into her old habits right after Byakuette was starting to warm up to her.

With more amusement than anger, Byakuette nodded, then told her “When we get back to our world, we will need to have a proper negotiation about a change in our future relationship.”

 _Change? Future relationship?_ Toko smiled as Byakuette turned around and continued walking up the stairs, thinking _I don’t know what she means by that…but I hope it’ll lead to a future with her!_

Holding back her girly giggles, Toko picked up the Magenti-Star Piece and quickly stuffed it within her black shell on her back. She then eagerly followed Byakuette up the stairs and through the upstairs door.

XXX

“Still no T…toads around…bunch of lazy i…idiots…” Toko mumbled as they walked back into the main hall, still as empty as it was when they arrived.

Byakuette nodded “Indeed, such incompetence does not relect well on their current ruler.” She shrugged “Well, at least nobody’s here to interfere with our objective. Now, let’s meet up with…”

“SURPRISE!”

Byakuette and Toko stopped in their tracks, their faces frozen in disbelief as they found themselves surrounded by little angry fungus, their eyes narrowed in anger at the two girls.

 _What did Makoto call those things again?_ Byakuette and Toko wondered, then recalling _Oh right, Goombas._

Several of the Goombas then stepped to the side, allowing a much larger Goomba to walk up to the dynamic duo. Unike the others, this Goomba had a crown on its head and a white mustache.

 _This must be these Goombas’ leader…_ Byakuette thought as the giant Goomba narrowed his eyes at her.

“Feeble human women, I am the Goomboss, King of the Goombas. My spies within the castle walls have informed me that you have procured a piece of the Magenti-Star Piece from that annoying Mips. I order you to hand over the Magenti-Star Piece at once!”

Byakuette and Toko narrowed their eyes in annoyance, annoyed by the smug tone that Goomboss was addressing them with.

Not ceding any ground, Byakuette scoffed “You dare to order me? Please, such lowly mushrooms are beneath those of true greatness. As a Togami, I stand far above you…and so does my ally.”

Toko smiled, pleased that Byakuette was finally showing her some respect, before the Goombas gasped, shocked that their King was being talked down to by a couple of dainty human women.

Steam piped out of the Goomboss’s ears as he bellowed “HOW DARE YOU! WE ARE FUNGI, NOT MUSHROOMS! YOU WILL PAY FOR MOCKING THE PRIDE OF THE GOOMBA TRIBE! GOOMBAS, ATTACK!”

Byakuette got into a fighting stance developed from her years of training for the Togami Competition, while Toko summoned a pair of hammers, preparing to throw them at any Goomba who dared to charge at her precious Byakuette. And charge they did, roaring as though it was their last day to live as they did so.

Byakuette and Toko relaxed however, confusion evident on their faces as they watched the Goombas run around in circles, completely missing their targets.

 _Are they this stupid? Even Hiro is smarter than them…_ Byakuette and Toko sweatdropped as they just watched the chaos unfold.

The Goomboss, now annoyed at his subjects, chastised “You idiots! Get it together! Red Goomba, Blue Goomba, Green Goomba, use the tower strategy!”

Three aptly colored Goombas jumped on top of each other, forming a tower before charging directly at Byakuette, this time managing to stay on target.

“Byakuette! Lo…look out!” Toko cried, warning the Affluent Progeny who managed to jump to the side in time and avoid the attack.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop her momentum, and ended up colliding against the nearby wall, making her groan “Oww…my head…that wall must have been harder than I thought…”

Nursing her aching head, she looked up and her eyes widened in surprise at seeing a yellow ? Block for a split second before it turned brown, a golden flower jumping out and landing right in front of her.

 _Oh no! Not again! The last time I touched one of these things, it swapped my gender!_ Looking up from the flower, Byakuette saw the Goombas cowering in fear, making her reconsider, eventually deciding “Oh, what the hell?” before reaching out to touch it, making it and Byakuette disappear in a cloud of gold smoke.

Toko bit her lip, squeezing her hammers tighter as she worried _What will THAT do to Byakuette? What will she look like when the smoke clears?_

Goomboss however was taking no chances; seeing an opportunity, he ordered “Quickly you idiots! Charge at her before the smoke clears!”

“GAAAAAHHHHHHH!” The Goomba mob bellowed, charging at the still morphing Byakuette.

“Byakuette! …Huh?” Toko’s fearful shriek changed to a confused exclamation as she saw a golden fireball bounce out of the cloud, colliding with one of the Goombas and making it burst into a pile of gold coins.

 _What the…did…did Byakuette do that?_ Toko wondered as a familiar, masculine voice spoke from within the cloud.

“Ah, so that golden flower lets me shoot golden fireballs from my hands…and it turns the enemy into currency…interesting…” Byakuette’s eyes widened as she realized _Wait...my voice…it’s back to normal! Then…_ Byakuette felt her crotch with her hand, her eyes widening as she felt the equipment she had been so accustomed to before thinking with relief _Oh thank kami! Byakuya Togami is back!_

The smoke finally cleared, revealing a now masculine Byakuya Togami, now dressed in golden overalls, a golden long-sleeved shirt, golden gloves, and a golden plumber’s hat.

The Goombas sweat in fear as Byakuya summoned a golden fireball in his hand, smirking as he remarked “This power truly is worthy of a Togami, the most elite among the one percent.”

Toko beamed as she thought _Ma…Master Byakuya! You’re back, exactly as I imagined you! You really are a knight in shining…clothing. Well, I’ll take what I can get…_

Byakuya turned towards Toko and started walking over to her, the Goomas scurrying out of his way as he approached her and asked “Toko…help me to rid this castle of these lower fungi, won’t you?”

“Thank you for calling us fungi!” One of the Goombas called to them; Byakuya simply ignored him as he offered Toko his free hand.

“O…of course, Master!” Toko nodded gleefully before the dynamic duo narrowed their eyes and turned back to face the now nervous Goomba battalion.

Said nervousness had spread even to the Goomboss, who ordered “W…what are you waiting for you i…idiots? Ch…charge!”

The Goombas hesitated for a split second before narrowing their eyes and, after swallowing the lumps of fear in their throats, charged the duo at full speed. Byakuya and Toko smirked at each other before taking aim and letting loose. Before long, hammers and golden fireballs were flying everywhere, turning the Goombas into gold coins as the pile of their accumulated wealth became larger and larger with each passing second.

 _Now I know why Makoto loves these games so much…this is a lot more fun than I thought!_ Byakuya and Toko thought as they laughed gleefully during the fight.

Eventually the last of the Goomba army burst into coins, leaving the Goomboss alone, sweating in fear as Byakuya laced his right hand with Toko’s left. They then raised their free hands up towards the ceiling, humming as a giant hammer coated in golden fire materialized.

“KOGANE NO HI NO HANMA!” Byakuya and Toko roared as they pushed forward with their hands, making it launch like a missile towards the terrified Goomboss.

 _Wait…_ He realized _I have the option do dodge it! Yes, and then they’ll be so tired that they won’t have the energy left to dodge my counterattack! Yes, I can dodge them, then I’ll make a counterattack at those two…_ “AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” Goomboss screamed, its strategizing interrupted as the Golden Fire Hammer hit it right between the eyes, making it burst into a mountain of gold coins as big as the one formed by all of his minions combined.

 _…That…was one of stupidest fights I’ve ever…seen…_ Byakuya and Toko thought as they panted, refilling their lungs with oxygen.

They looked around noting all the hammers and coins scattered across the ground, not to mention the golden scorch marks decorating the castle walls. Byakuya turned to Toko, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy returning his adrenaline-filled gaze with her own. Before they knew what they were doing, Byakuya had captured Toko in a passionate kiss, their eyes closed as their tongues began to caress each other’s mouths. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, while his own were wrapped around her waist.

The two squeezed each other close, wanting to be as close to the other as possible. Toko moaned in pleasure as Byakuya’s wandering hand slid down to her plush rear, groping it as she felt herself slipping back into her most recent fantasy.

_Yes…it’s coming true! My fantasies are finally coming true! This is the greatest day of my life!_

*Cough*

The two reluctantly broke apart, blushing as they released each other from their embrace. Byakuya had his standard, neutral expression on his face while Toko had a happily embarrassed expression.

 _I did it! I finally got to kiss Master Byakuya!_ Toko swooned to herself as she and Byakuya turned to see the source of the cough that broke apart their makeout: a lone Goomba that survived the fight.

Byakuya and Toko nodded, arming themselves with a golden fireball and a hammer respectively, only to let them drop in confusion as the Goomba asked “Who are you two?”

Byakuya and Toko sweatdropped, wondering _Is this for real?_ before Byakuya awkwardly cleared his throat and spoke.

“The name’s Byakuya Togami. And this is Toko Fukawa.”

Toko scowled while Byakuya stared suspiciously at the lone Goomba who replied innocently “Byakuya Togami and Toko Fukawa…you have both slain the Goomboss. Therefore…you are now the new bosses of the Goombas.”

Byakuya and Toko blinked in shock as several other Goombas walked out from behind the Goomba, lining up in a perfect row as the bowed their heads before their new masters.

Toko scoffed, questioning “What kind of non…nonsense is this?”

The first Goomba looked up at Toko and explained “By law of the Goomba tribe, if the Goomboss is defeated by someone more powerful and intimidating, then they shall become the new King of the Goombas.”

Byakuya scoffed as he asked “Why should we trust you? For all we know, this could be part of some elaborate ploy to lower our guard so you can finish what your Goomboss started.”

The Goombas frowned before the first of them replied “Then allow us to prove our loyalty to you, Master Togami.” As Toko scowled at hearing someone else refer to Byakuya as Master Togami, the first Goomba shouted to his comrades “Pinky, Inky, Clyde, release the Toads we’ve captured at once.”

With a brief nod, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde hurried over to a nearby hidden door, opening it to reveal a secret room, and four Toads, each one a different color, tied up with rope and gagged with cloth. Pinky, Inky, and Clyde then untied the ropes and gags, allowing the Toads to scurry out of the room and behind Byakuya and Toko.

The final Goomba explained “We captured the Toads earlier so they couldn’t interfere with the plan to procure the Magenti-Star.”

Byakuya nodded, musing “That would explain why we couldn’t find any Toads roaming the halls during our search. It was because they had already been captured.”

The Goomba confirmed “The only one we couldn’t capture was Mips. He was just too fast for us, so we decided to let you two handle him and we would ambush you so that we could take the Magenti-Star Piece for ourselves.”

“I see…not a bad strategy, I must admit…” Byakuya replied, smirking as he commented “Too bad your opponents were a Togami and his ally.”

“Ano…just one question.” Byakuya and the Goomba turned to look at Toko as she asked “How can you open doors and untie rope if you don’t have any hands?”

“We’re very determined Ma’am.” The lone Goomba stated proudly, making Byakuya and Toko sweatdrop as they looked at each other. “So, what will our next order be, Master Togami?” The lone Goomba asked eagerly as Pinky, Inky, and Clyde lined up next to him.

“…What should we do?” Toko asked, pointing out “We have the Ma…Magenti-Star Piece. Do we really ne…need them?”

Byakuya assumed a thinking pose, closing his eyes as he pondered his options. After a minute, he turned to the lone Goomba and pointed at him.

“You, Goomba. Do you have a name?”

The Goomba grinned and answered “My name is Blinky, boss!” while Pinky, Inky, and Clyde stared with admiration at Byakuya.

Byakuya smirked, the wheels in his head turning as he thought _Why not rule over these Goombas while we’re here? They seem more than willing to follow me, as I would expect any of my employees to be. Yes, they’ll be the perfect foot soldiers to a new Togami Empire, and it’ll make things much more interesting while we’re here._ He then pointed to Blinky and ordered “You, Blinky. Make sure your comrades pay attention, and don’t make me repeat myself.”

“You got it, boss! Pinky, Inky, Clyde, you heard the boss! Listen up, and don’t make him repeat himself!”

“SIR YES SIR!” Pinky, Inky, and Clyde chanted in unison, making Byakuya nod approvingly before he took Toko’s hand in his own.

“From this day forward, I shall be known as Goomboss Togami, and Toko Fukawa will be my right-hand woman.”

Toko blushed, beaming as she took out the Magenti-Star Piece from within her shell and clutched it to her heart, joyfully crying to herself _Yes! I’m Byakuya’s right-hand woman! I’m finally of use to Master Byakuya!_

Smiling at his woman, Byakuya turned his attention back to his Goomba followers, a serious expression on his face as he told them “As King of the Goombas, I will educate you into a proper power force that only a Togami can give you.”

The Goombas stood at attention wile the newly freed Toads stared at each other in confusion, biting their lips worriedly.

_Uh-oh! Princess Peach and the Mario Bros. aren’t gonna be happy to come back to this!_


	4. Chapter Three: Plunder in the Sunken Ship!   Battle on the Jolly Roger!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hina and Hiro arrive at Jolly Roger bay in search of the third Magenti-Star Piece, sunk at the bottom of the sea along with the Jolly Roger. Aided by a mysterious ShyGuy, Hina goes to recover it while Hiro waits on the beach. What dangers will await the newly formed trio?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter Three of Super Danganronpa Bros, ordered by NotFanFicNet. Please read and comment below, and enjoy!

Hina flipped out of the warp pipe, Hiro clumsily climbing out of it as she landed gracefully on her feet, looking around with stars in her eyes.

“Some mystical fantasy land…” Hiro complained as he got to his feet and dusted the sand off his pants. “This is just some bland beach, for serious!”

Hina turned to stare at Hiro incredulously as she exclaimed “Are you kidding?! This place is the best! I could swim for miles in this water world!” Hiro rolled his eyes as she pondered “Come to think of it…what’s this place called anyway?” She looked around until her eyes settled on a plan brown wooden sign, pointing to it as she exclaimed “Oh, maybe that sign can tell us!”

Nodding, Hiro walked with her until they were in front of the sign, his eyes narrowing in focus as he read aloud “Welcome to the area formerly known as Jolly Roger Bay. After the Battle Within the Walls, King Wart of Subcon attempted to invade Jolly Roger Bay, forcing a war with King Bowser of the Mushroom Kingdom. The ensuing battle caused Jolly Roger Bay to merge with Water World, and Princess Peach has yet to officially rename the new territory.”

Hiro and Hina blinked a few times, processing the information before Hina wondered “King Bowser and King Wart…I know Makoto mentioned that Bowser guy once…but who’s this Wart guy?”

She then turned to Hiro, who had a wide grin on his face as he rubbed his hands together greedily, making her sweatdrop as Hiro muttered “These two Kings must have fought and died…leaving all their treasure under the ocean, ripe for the picking!”

Hina sighed, shaking her head in exasperation before complaining “We don’t have time to go treasure hunting, Hiro! We need to track down the Magenti-Star Piece so we can…”

“Oh wow! Look, Hina! There’s some of their treasure right there!” Hiro interrupted, pointing to two wooden treasure chests on the beach.

As Hiro ran giddily to the treasure chests, Hina pouted and stomped a foot in the sand, scolding him “Hiro! We don’t have time for this!”

As Hina ran after him, Hiro approached one of the chests, his fingers wiggling with glee as he assured her “Don’t worry about it! This is only gonna take a sec, for serious! I’ll even split the treasure with you 50/50! Now, let’s open this ba…AAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

The moment he touched the chest, Hiro felt an electrical current shock his system, singeing him and making him yelp in pain and fall backwards.

Hina shook her head as she approached him, scolding “Well it serves you right for leaping without looking. That greed of yours is gonna get you killed one day, Hiro.”

Hiro pouted and stood up, dusting the soot off of his body as he insisted with a determined fire in his eyes “Don’t be mean! Besides, there’s more than one key to a buried treasure chest! If trying to open it the easy way gets me zapped, then I’ll just break it open with a rock! Now, where’s a good sized rock?”

 _…Well, he’s determined, I’ll give him that…if only he’d apply himself to something more productive, he might actually be useful…_ Hina sweatdropped, sighing as she leaned on the nearby treasure chest.

*Ring*

“Huh?”

Hina immediately stood up, turning to see the treasure chest open by itself, making her exclaim “Hiro look!” as she pointed at it with widened eyes.

With an annoyed look in his eyes, Hiro turned around and complained “What? Can’t you see I’m still looking for a…”

Hiro trailed off seeing the treasure chest open before his eyes, his eyes widening along with Hina’s as they screamed “AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”, hugging each other in fright.

A few seconds of silence passed, the duo hyperventilating before they calmed down and looked at each other, causing Hina to blush in embarrassment before she pushed him away and exclaimed “Get off me, Hiro!”

“Oof! Hey, don’t be mean!” Hiro exclaimed, stumbling backwards a few feet.

Hina sighed and looked back to the treasure chest, wondering “Anyways…I wonder what’s in that treasure chest?”

As curiosity overtook her and she walked up to it, Hiro bit his lip and asked “Wasn’t it you who said we didn’t have time for this?”

“Oh hush!” Hina waved off, deciding “It’s already open, so what’s the harm in taking a peek?”

“But what if it’s possessed? It could come to life and eat you! Why else would it jingle and open like that?!”

Hina rolled her eyes and huffed “Oh please, it’s probably just one of the mechanics fromt hose video games Makoto talked about. Now…” Hina peeked inside, her eyes growing large and cute as she cooed “Oh, what a cute little figurine! I’ve gotta take a closer look at this!”

“Hey, don’t touch it, for serious!”

“Oh please, what’s the harm in examining it a little more?” Hina finally grasped it in her palm and took it out, inspecting it as she observed “It looks like…a cute little froggy…”

*POOF*

“Hey!” Hina exclaimed as a puff of white smoke covered her body, the Ultimate Swimming Pro confused until she realized _Hey, this is just like what happened when Makoto touched that leaf and got a Racoon tail!_ Hina grinned with excitement as she wondered giddily _Maybe I’ll get a cute, fuzzy tail and ears too!_

*Stretch*

 _Huh?!_ Hina wondered, slightly panicking as she felt something slick and smooth cover her body, covering her from neck to toe and sticking to her like a second skin. _What…what’s going on? This doesn’t feel like something cute! It feels gross!_

At last the smoke dissipated, allowing Hina to see Hiro staring incredulously at her. She then looked down at her body, her eyes widening in shock as she saw a green, stretchy fabric covering her body, her shoes replaced with green flippers. Only her head and hands were left bare, uncovered by the second skin. Out of curiosity, she felt the top of her head, feeling two hard cup like structures on her head attacked to a flexible band.

 _What the…?_ She pulled them down, revealing a set of water goggles as she realized _That figurine was…_

“ALIENS!” Shaken out of her ponderings by Hiro’s terrified yell, she turned to Hiro, who was pointing to her as he screamed “Aliens took over Hina!”

A vein pulsed in Hina’s forehead as she retorted “I was NOT taken over by aliens! That figurine must have been some kind of power-up, like when Makoto touched that leaf and got a tail!”

Hiro calmed down somewhat, lowering his voice though apprehension was still written all over his face as he objected “That’s just what an alien would say! If you’re really Hina, then tell me something only Hina would know!”

“…You broke a bottle over Sakura’s head when she was trying to make peace with you.” Hina stated pluntly, her eyes narrowed in accusation.

Hiro looked down at his feet, guilt flooding his heart as the memory came rushing back, the Ultimate Clairvoyant finally uttering “…Did you have to go back there again? I said I was sorry…”

“…It was the only way to prove I wasn’t some kind of alien doppelganger.” Hina stated, though her eyes were still narrowed as anger bled into her voice, making it clear to Hiro that she still held a grudge against him and Toko for the parts they played in Sakura’s death.

Hiro sighed, avoiding eye contact with Hina as she continued to glare at him, the tension between them so think it could be cut with a butter knife.

 _…Let’s just focus on getting the Magenti-Star Piece…_ Hiro sighed and changed the subject, asking “So, um…what does that suit of yours actually do? It kind of makes you look like a frog…”

Hina blinked, then looked over her outfit, observing “It looks like a wetsuit I used to wear when I was training for the Olympics at the beach. But they never had one that quite fit my proportions, so it was always uncomfortable. This one however…” Hina smiled as she explained “This one fits me perfectly, almost like I’m swimming in the buff.”

 _In the buff…_ Hiro thought as he recalled seeing Hina naked when he, Hifumi, and Makoto spied on the girls bathing the day after Chihiro and Mondo’s deaths.

Hiro blushed as a perverted smile stretched across his face, making Hina frown as she guessed what was going through his head.

 _Perverted, greedy fortune telling quack…_ Hina thought, her vein pulsing again as she slapped his cheek with her open palm as she yelled “Get your head out of the gutter, Hiro!”

“Agh! I’m sorry!” Hiro apologized, nursing his sore cheek as wondered “So, umm…since you’re wearing that Frog Suit…does that mean you have the abilities of a frog? Like how Makoto insisted his tail allowed him to fly?”

Hina assumed a thinking pose and mused “I wonder…maybe…”

Without another word, Hina crouched before flipping backwards, soaring over Hiro’s head before she landed gracefully in the water behind them. Hiro stood there, his eyes widened in dumbfounded amazement as he ran over to the edge of the sea.

“Whoa! That was incredible, for serious! How’d Hina do that?!” Hiro shrugged as he stared out at the ocean and decided “Well, she can tell me when she comes back up…”

One minute turned into two, then three, then four. Finally when five minutes passed without so much as a splash from Hina, Hiro frowned and muttered.

“Okay, this is freaky, for serious! I know that she’s the Ultimate Swimming Pro, but even she couldn’t stay underwater THAT long without drowning. What if she was captured by eels, or eaten by sharks, or…”

*SPLASH*

“WAAHHHHHH!” Hiro exclaimed as something came up from the surface, falling on his butt and scrambling back to avoid the circular wave of water that erupted.

Once the wave settled back down, Hiro stared with a slackened jaw as he took in the sight of Hina standing on the beach in her Frog Suit, pointing at him with one finger as she laughed with glee.

Hiro had an annoyed expression on his face as he exclaimed “That’s not funny, Hina!”

Still laughing, Hina retorted “It was hilarious! You should have seen the look on your face!”

“This is serious, FOR SERIOUS!”

Hina giggled “Okay okay, I’m sorry, but I saw you trying to look for me from below water and I couldn’t resist the temptation to give you a jump scare. I swear, you’re as easily spooked as my brother Yuta! Besides, you deserved it for fantasizing about me earlier.”

Hiro blushed in embarrassment, a flash of guilt crossing his face before it morphed into realization as he wondered “Hey…how did you do that backflip into the water or hold your breath for so long?”

Hina reassumed her contemplative pose as she admitted “It’s totally strange…when I flipped it felt so natural, like I was jumping from a diving board. But even when I jumped from a diving board, I’ve never jumped that high or so precisely. And my record for holding my breath underwater is only three minutes, but I stayed underwater for five that time. And I didn’t even feel the need to come up for oxygen when I did.”

“Maybe…maybe that Frog Suit allows you to stay underwater for longer than normal and enhances your swimming and jumping abilities.”

“…Hiro…I think you actually said something logical for once…” Hina breathed, amazed at Hiro’s rare show of intelligence.

Hiro however pouted and exclaimed “Hey, don’t be mean! I…hey, what happened to your hair? It’s not in its ponytail anymore; it’s just flowing down your back.”

“Huh?” Hina panicked, looking behind her before she groaned “Aw man! My hair band must have come off in the water!” Hina sighed and pouted “…Whatever, it’s not a big deal. It’s just gonna be annoying when it gets in my face like it always does…”

“Umm…” Hiro suggested “Why don’t you just cut it short if it gets in the way?”

Hina’s eyes flared as she exclaimed with a fist curled “No! No way, Hiro! I’ll never cut my hair off! What if I find a guy who’s into girls with long hair?!”

Hiro rolled his eyes and muttered “Spaz…”

Hina pouted cutely, stomping her flipper foot as she groaned “Geez, you’re just like my little brother!”

“Am not!”

“Am too!”

“AM NOT!”

“AM…Hey, Hiro, what are you doing?!” Hina exclaimed, their argument broken off by the sight of Hiro walking over to the second chest, his fingers wiggling excitedly again. “Don’t even think about opening that chest again! It’ll probably shock you like it did last time.”

“Don’t worry, I have a good feeling about this. Besides, I just predicted that it’ll open this time!”

 _Isn’t your accuracy rate like 30 percent or something?!_ Hina deadpanned.

“Plus, there’s only two chests here, and the first one already opened for you, so maybe it’s one of those **correct order** things, ya know?”

_…Hiro being logical twice in a row? Maybe you’ve been replaced by an alien._

*Ding Ding, Diiiing Ding*

Hiro smiled as the chime went off and the treasure chest opened, rubbing his hands together as he chanted “Money money money money…” As he peered in however, Hiro’s greedy grin turned into a disappointed frown as he spotted a blue mushroom with four white spots and two black eyes and groaned “Aww man, it’s just some lame mushroom.” His eyes widened as he wondered “Could this be some sentient alien in disguise?!”

 _…No Hiro, it’s just a mushroom…_ Hina sweatdropped, relieved that the Hiro she knew and disliked was back.

Said Ultimate Clairvoyant eventually shrugged “Nah, it’s just a mushroom. Besides…” Hiro grinned as he contemplated “Maybe I can use it as an ingredient for my special brownies!”

 _…I don’t even want to know what’s in those brownies…_ Hina shivered before she saw Hiro reach into the treasure chest, causing her to warn “Hiro, maybe you shouldn’t touch it!”

“Oh come on, Hina! What’s the harm in touching it? You said that to me, and you got a cool Frog Suit! Who’s to say that this can’t be a cool power-up too?!”

_…I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I can’t argue with that logic…_

Unable to come up with a sufficient counterargument, Hina watched as Hiro reached into the chest, exclaiming in the most stereotypical Italian accent he could muster “I’m ah touching it!”

“…That’s racist…” Hina scolded. 

“It is NOT!” 

Hina retorted disapprovingly “You didn’t see Makoto doing the worst Italian accent known to man when he got his Racoon Tail, or me speaking in a fake French accent when I got Frog Legs!”

“I’m just having a little bit of fun, so don’t be me…”

*Poof*

Another puff of white smoke covered Hiro, obscuring him from view as Hina deadpanned _Well, the smoke proves it; Hiro’s got a power-up now too. I wonder what he’ll be able to do now…Hey, where’d he go?_ Hina frowned as Hiro was nowhere to be seen, causing her to call out “Hiro?”

“Hina!”

 _What’s going on? I can hear Hiro, but I can’t see him!_ Hina shivered as she panicked _If that mushroom gave him the power of invisibility, I can’t even begin to imagine all the perverted and greedy things Hiro could do with it…_

“Hina! Down here!”

“Huh?” Hina wondered and looked down, her eyes widening at the sight of a seven-inch-tall Yasuhiro Hagakure jumping frantically up and down. Unable to stop herself, she burst into laughter as she asked “Hiro?! Is that you?!”

“This isn’t funny, Hina!” Hiro exclaimed, though his comedic jumping only reinforced Hina’s fit of laughter.

As her laughter died down to light giggles, she got on her knees and assured him “Oh come on, Hiro, you’ve gotta admit it’s pretty funny!”

Hiro pouted “It’s NOT funny! I feel like an action figure, for serious!”

 _…An action figure, huh?_ Hina grinned deviously as she squeezed her hand threateningly in front of him and asked “So then…do you perform a karate chop if I squeeze you? Or maybe you come with an action button on your back…”

Hiro shrieked and ran up to Hina’s ankle in fear and anger, trying in vain to kick it with his foot.

Hina sweatdropped, then sighed, reaching down to pick Hiro up in her hand, ignoring his yelps and protests. She opened her palm, allowing Hiro to get his bearings as she lifted him up so he was looking into her eyes.

“Are you done?” Hiro huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head to the side in a pout, making Hina sigh as she thought _Come on Hiro, you’re behaving like a big baby…_ Hina’s eyes softened as she admitted to herself _Although I did tease him more than I had to. Maybe I was being a bit spiteful because…because I haven’t completely forgiven how he and Byakuya and Toko treated Sakura before her death…I admit, maybe some small part of me wanted some payback that I couldn’t get through the Class Trial._

_“Don’t lose hope now!”_

_Ma…Makoto?_

Makoto’s smiling, hopeful face flashed in her mind as his disembodied voice told her _“We promised we’d all stick together, no matter how much despair was in the world outside! I know you and Hiro still have issues to work out, but you can’t let that drive you apart. We all need to work together if we’re going to get back home!”_

“Makoto…” Hina smiled as she whispered “ _You’re right…Thank you…”_

Hiro looked up at her and asked in curiosity “Umm…what did you say about Makoto?”

 _Come on, Hina, do as Makoto said; just put aside your grudge until we get the Magenti-Star Piece, then you and Hiro can work things out properly._ Sighing, she replied “Makoto and the others are working hard to get their pieces of the Magenti-Star, so we need to do the same and get our gold medal. Now’s no time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves.” Looking down at Hiro, she bent her pointer finger so that it was touching her palm, making Hiro turn to her in surprise as she apologized “I’m sorry, truce?”

Hiro looked into her eyes, seeing a serious honesty within them, allowing him to smile and grab her finger, shaking it as he returned “Truce.”

Removing her finger from her palm, Hina looked around until she spotted a group of roundish rocks. She proceeded to walk over to them, lowering her palm once she approached them so Hiro could jump off. She then pulled out her map and started scanning it.

“It says here that the Magenti-Star Piece is located at the bottom of the ocean, on a sunken ship called the Jolly Roger.”

“Is that why this place was called the Jolly Roger Bay?”

“It’s possible, but not really important. I’ll have to dive down there to find it.”

As she was about to turn around, Hiro exclaimed “Wait! You’re seriously just going to leave me here? For serious?! What was that whole speech about having to work together for then?!”

“…It’s not like I can bring you with me; you’d just drown. And before you finish that thought, I’m NOT putting you in my Frog Suit where you can do who knows what in there.”

“Don’t be mean!” Hiro objected “I wouldn’t do anything perverted…” _Then again…what if there are sea monsters down there…or…Chthulhu…_ Hiro shivered before changing his tune, smiling nervously as he agreed “You know what, you’re right Hina. You should be the one to look for the Magenti-Star Piece while I…secure the beach!”

Hina sweatdropped at Hiro’s grin, sighing sarcastically “My hero…”

“Yeah, I guess I am a hero, aren’t I?” Hiro replied proudly, oblivious to her sarcasm.

_I don’t know who’s denser…you for not being able to detect sarcasm, or Makoto for not getting together with Kyoko…_

Hina sighed and turned around, about to walk into the water to begin her search when she heard Hiro call “Wait, Hina?”

Sighing in irritation, she turned around and asked in an annoyed tone “What? We’re in a hurry!”

Scratching the back of his head nervously, Hiro asked “Umm…just curious…how did you pull that map out of your Frog Suit when it doesn’t have any pockets?”

“…” 

Hina found herself dumbfounded by Hiro’s third logical thought in a row today, one that she hadn’t even considered.

Eventually she was only able to reply dumbly as she stared at her map “I…I…don’t…I don’t…knooowww?”

She looked from her map to Hiro, who looked just as confused as she did, only for him to laugh off “Ah…maybe it’s one of those video game mechanics. So…maybe we shouldn’t question it?”

Hina nodded “Yeah, good point. Alright, I’m off now. The sooner I find this Magenti-Star Piece, the sooner we can rendezvous with the others. Now…eek!”

Hina turned around, only to shriek and fall on her butt, her eyes widened as she saw a green hooded robe draped over some kind of creature on the sand.

“Hina, you killed it! Whatever it is, your shrieks killed it!”

Hina huffed at Hiro’s exclamation and retorted “Please, Hiro, there’s no way THAT killed it.” Her brow furrowed as she wondered “Come to think of it…what is that little thing anyway…Huh?” 

She placed her hand on the sand to try and push herself onto her flippers, only for her brow to furrow as she felt a smooth, hard surface under her hand.

“What the…” 

She picked up the item and held it in front of her face, frowning as she saw that she was holding a white mask with two round holes for eyes and a smaller circular hole that was obviously a mouth.

“That mask is…kind of creepy…could that little thing be part of some weird theater cult?”

Hina rolled her eyes and told him “Oh shush, Hiro.” _Though I don’t know the answer to that question either. I don’t know anything about Mario games, but I thought they were rated A for All Ages. Why would there be cults in a kids game like that?_

“…Hei-ho…”

“Huh?” Hina and Hiro exclaimed, their eyes widened in shock as they looked down at the green hooded creature, obviously not dead as they could see the outline of its hand trying to feel around the sandy floor in front of it.

It suddenly stood up and spun around, Hina and Hiro just barely catching its free arm covering its face.

 _…It must be looking for something…_ Hina realized. _But what…wait!_ Hina’s eyes widened as she looked to the mask, then to the mysterious creature, then back to the mask again. _This mask must belong to it!_ Waving it in the air, she called out “Hey, little guy! Catch!”

Hina threw the mask forward, watching as the creature caught it in its hand. It then shuffled, placing the mask back on its head and tying it back on before turning around. It then swiftly turned around, holding its arms in front of it as though it were making fists, making Hina narrow her eyes and get in a fighting stance of her own.

To their surprise though, the mysterious creature lowered its guard, cheeks blushing and eyes bulging beneath its mask as it stared at Hina. Suddenly acting shy, it held its hands behind its back as it rubbed one foot back and forth in the sand bashfully, confusing the Ultimate Swimming Pro.

Deciding to investigate this seemingly enamored creature, Hina finally summoned the strength to stand up, slowly walking up to the strange creature before she knelt down before it and asked “Hey little guy; what’s your name?”

“Hei-ho!”

Hina and Hiro looked at each other with confused expressions before Hina shrugged “Well, he doesn’t seem particularly hostile.” She turned back to the strange creature and asked “Is Hei-ho the only thing you can say?” Seeing him nod, Hina gushed “Oh, that’s so cute!”

He brought his hands to his cheeks, gasping as he thought _She…she called me…cute?!_

Hiro looked suspiciously at him and cautioned “Um…Hina…I know I’m kind of the gullible one…but I really don’t think we should let our guard down around this…this…Maskass!”

Hina gasped, then turned to glare at Hiro and admonished “Hiro, don’t be mean!” Looking back at him, she cooed “Besides, how could this harmless little guy be bad?”

As Hina and Hiro continued to argue, he sweat nervously beneath his robe and mask as the knife, spear, Fire Flower, and gas bomb jingling in his specially concealed pouch felt like a time bomb about to go off.

 _The little weird man I don’t mind skewering or roasting on a stick, but I don’t wanna fight this beautiful, compassionate goddess!_ He suddenly noticed the map Hina was holding and pointed to it curiously, asking “Hei-ho?”

Hina looked to Hei-ho curiously, then to her map in realization as she exclaimed “Oh, you see my map!” Holding it in front of her with a smile, she explained “My friend Hiro and I are looking for a Magenti-Star piece at the bottom of the sea.”

He gasped, then assumed his own thinking pose as he realized _This human girl is looking for the same Magenti-Star Piece that Captain Wart assigned me to find? And they have a MAP to help them?_ He grinned under his mask as he decided _This is perfect! Once she recovers it, I can steal it to give to the Captain…_ He blushed as he thought _…And maybe I can even have this beautiful goddess all to myself as a reward!_ “Hei-Ho!”

“Huh?” Hina and Hiro asked as they saw him jumping up and down.

Once he was sure he had caught their attention, he pointed to the map, then to Hina, then to himself, and finally to the water.

Hina’s eyes lit up as she realized “Oh, you want to help us find the Magenti-Star Piece, little guy?”

“Hei-Ho!”

Hiro frowned as he cautioned “Hina, I don’t know about this…I think trusting this guy is a bad idea…”

Hina huffed “Oh come on, Hiro, let the little guy help! He probably knows this area better than we do, and with you not really able to come with me, I could use the help.”

“Umm…well…how’s he gonna breathe underwater?”

As Hina began to ponder that conundrum, the strange creature exclaimed “Hei-Ho!”, pointing frantically to a pile on the other side of the beach consisting of an air tank, goggles, and flippers.

“Oh, you brought your own swim gear?” Hina beamed as the creature nodded, the Ultimate Swimming Pro pumping her fists as she exclaimed “Alright, now we can both go in the water and get the gold…” Hina blushed as she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment, correcting herself “…I mean the Magenti-Star Piece…”

Hiro frowned as he cautioned “I really don’t know about this, Hina. I still think this is a bad idea, for serious!”

Hina rolled her eyes and retorted “Oh relax, Hiro; if anything goes wrong, I can just use my Frog Suit to swim out of there.”

“I…I guess…” Hiro replied, still unsure about her plan, but unable to come up with a proper argument to dissuade her. _It’d be one thing if I could go in Maskass’s place, but I’m still barely over half a foot tall!_

Beaming in victory, Hina turned to the strange creature and asked “So little guy, would you mind helping us?”

The hooded creature nodded and exclaimed “Hei-Ho!”, making Hina giggle before she assumed a contemplative pose.

“Still…what do I call you…” Her eyes lit up in realization as she beamed and asked “Oh, what about Heiho-kun?”

The strange creature froze at the question, dumbstruck as he asked himself _This beautiful goddess…is giving me a name? No Shyguy has ever been given a name before! But…if I decline…it’ll make me look suspicious! Alright…if I’m going to gain this beautiful goddess’s trust…I’ll accept my new name!_

Heiho nodded slowly, making Hina clap her hands together in glee as she exclaimed “Alright, from now on, your name is Heiho-kun!”

“…Still gonna call him Maskass…” Hiro muttered, only to freeze up as Hiro and Heiho shot angry glares at him.

Hina sighed and proceeded to lecture him while Heiho ran over to the other side of the beach and put on his swimming gear. Once was fully equipped, Heiho gestured for Hina to follow him, leading her to nod and put her map away before she turned back to Hiro one last time and pulled her goggles into place.

“Alright, just stay here until I come back, okay? I’ll be back with the Magenti-Star Piece before you know it.”

Hiro nodded with a rare serious expression on his face before he stared into her eyes and agreed “Alright…just come back safe, okay? We’ve already lost so many friends…Sayaka, Leon, Chihiro, Mondo, Taka, Hifumi, Celeste, Sakura…I…I don’t want to lose any more friends, for serious!”

 _Hiro…_ Hina blushed, touched by Hiro’s rare display of caring, then nodded with a smile as she assured him in a happy, determined voice “Don’t worry, we won’t lose any more friends…” Sakura’s face flashed before her eyes before she punched her fist into her open palm and vowed “Never again!” She then turned to Heiho and called out “Alright Heiho-kun, lead the way!”

Heiho nodded and started walking, Hina walking to catch up to him until he stopped at the edge of ledge hanging over the sea. Heiho crouched to make a dive, only to be completely blown away by an impatient Hina. Fueled by her Frog Suit, she jumped a good ten feet in the air, Heiho and Hiro’s eyes widening in awe as she rolled into a triple somersault before diving perfectly into the water, a ring of water forming a brief wave in her wake.

Heiho raised his arms to clap, only to stumble backwards as he was startled by Hina who broke through the surface and called out in a friendly teasing voice “Hurry up slowpoke!”

“Hei-Ho?” Heiho uttered, confused as Hina dived back underwater.

Heiho looked back at Hiro with a befuddled expression, leading the shrunken Clairvoyant to shrug “Hina is **very** competitive.”

Heiho nodded, then crouched and leapt forward, holding his short legs together in a cannonball as he unceremoniously made a splash, sinking into the water below.

“…Two points…” Hiro judged. _Then again, he did have to wear all that diving equipment…_ Hiro sighed as he looked out to the water, praying “Good luck Hina…and you too, Maskass…”

XXX

 _Wow…this place is amazing!_ Hina thought, wide-eyed as she and Heiho swam through the sea, taking in the sight of Cheep-Cheeps and Bloopers swimming through the vast waters. Hina turned to see Heiho staring at her, somehow able to detect the amusement behind his mask as she thought excitedly _I know I probably look like a giddy little kid, but I can’t help it! If I had known those Mario gamers were this amazing, I would have played them with Yuta years ago! Huh? What is it, Heiho-kun?_

She then saw Heiho frantically pointing down, causing her to curiously follow his gesture with her eyes until they widened at the sight of a large, wooden pirate ship at the bottom of the ocean floor.

_Oh, that must be the Jolly Roger, which means that our Magenti-Star Piece must be inside that ship! Okay, let’s go!_

Hina immediately started swimming down, Heiho following close behind as they approached the ship. With a quick glance to each other and a silent nod, they then swam in opposite directions, circling around the ship as they searched for a way inside. Eventually, Hina rejoined Heiho in front of a square hole on the side of the top deck, the little Shyguy gesturing to it.

_Oh, you want me to follow you inside? Great work, Heiho-kun!_

Heiho nodded before swimming inside the hole, Hina about to pump her legs to follow when she felt a shiver down her spine. She turned her head and furrowed her brow at the sight of nothing but calm ocean water.

_…Why do I get the feeling that we’re being watched? Maybe I’m just nervous…_

Hina shrugged and proceeded to follow Heiho into the hole, unaware of the white eyes and jaws of razor-sharp teeth staring at her as she disappeared into the ship.

XXX

Hiro sighed, tapping his foot against the rock he was sitting on as he lamented “Man, wish I had brought my tarot cards from Hope’s Peak…then again, they’d probably be too big for me to play at this height.”

Hiro sighed for the sixteenth time as he stared at the open sea.

“Wonder how the others are doing with their Magenti-Star Pieces…I hope Hina and Maskass are doing okay down there. I know I’m a greedy coward, but I really wish I could do something to check on them…” Hiro groaned in frustration “Man, this power-up bites, for serious! How is shrinking even useful?”

Hiro began to ponder, taking a contemplative pose before his eyes widened in realization.

“Wait a second…what if…my superpower is actually…mind control?!” Hiro pondered, giggling with glee as he began to fantasize about his nonexistent power.

XXX

“Your fruit juice, Master Hagakure.” Byakuya announced as he and Makoto walked over to Hiro who was sitting on his throne, his golden crown adorning his head.

Dressed in butler uniforms, Makoto and Byakuya carried two trays, a single goblet on Makoto’s and a bottle of fruit juice on Byakuya’s. Byakuya proceeded to uncork the bottle and pour it into Makoto’s goblet. The former Lucky Student then handed the goblet to Hiro, who accepted it gratefully before he downed it in one gulp.

Handing it back to Makoto, Hiro commanded “Thank you Makoto, Byakuya, you are dismissed.” As Makoto and Byakuya nodded and left, Hiro clapped his hands and ordered “Kyoko, wipe my face. Toko, massage my back. Hina, rub my feet.”

“Meow!” The three girls called back as they filed in, dressed in stereotypical maid uniforms with fake cat ears on their heads.

_Ah, this is the life!_

XXX

*Stomp*

“Huh?”

Hiro turned around, bringing his hands over his mouth to muffle his shocked gasp as he saw a large green anthropomorphic frog wearing a blue and gold cap and a golden crown atop his head, as well as a golden chain hanging loosely from his neck. Bringing up the rear was an anthropomorphic mouse wearing sunglasses, as well as a small battalion of Shyguys cloaked in red hoods.

 _Oh no…it’s an army of Maskasses!_ Hiro thought as he stared fearfully at the two strange creatures.

Before he could ponder further, the giant frog cackled “I am the Great Captain Wart!”

The mouse and Shyguys shook their heads in exasperation before Wart turned to the mouse and asked “Mouser? How long until the Green Shyguy returns with the Magenti-Star Piece?”

_Green? Is he…is he talking about Maskass?!_

Mouser nodded “Any minute now, Captain. And might I say, it was an excellent plan, letting that human girl do all the hard work for us.”

Wart grinned and stroked his chin, musing “Yes, it was, wasn’t it? Once our Albatross forces saw her coming to this area’s Warp Pipe, all we needed to do was send Green to keep tabs on her until she acquires what we’re looking for.” Wart frowned as he lamented “I just hope that Green’s up to the task; he’s always been the runt of the litter, so to speak.” Wart grinned evilly as he mused “With any luck, he’ll get us the Magenti-Star Piece, then we can feed him and that human girl to the Unagi.”

“Here here!” Mouser agreed.

“Hei-ho!” All the Shyguys chanted in agreement.

Hiro hid back behind the rock, biting his fingernails as he thought with dread _Oh no…Hina’s down in the depths of the ocean with a spy…and a vicious sea monster!_

XXX

 _Okay, so this Frog Suit increases my lung capacity, but it doesn’t allow me to breathe underwater. I’m running out of time…_ Hina thought as she resisted the urge to gasp for breath.

Heiho looked back and seeing Hina’s pensive expression, looked around until his eyes settled on an air bubble floating in front of them. He pointed frantically at the bubble, trying to get Hina’s attention.

 _Heiho-kun? Why are you pointing at that air bubble?_ Hina’s eyes widened in realization as she realized _Wait, air bubble…could touching it refill my oxygen? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? Well, this is a video game world, so it’s worth a shot._

Hina hurriedly swam over to it, reaching out to touch the air bubble while she still had air. The instant her fingertip touched it, it popped, making Hina start to panic until she felt her lungs start to refill, making her beam and relax, just barely resisting the urge to sigh in relief.

_Alright, so that proves it; I still need air to breathe; thank goodness this air bubble was just floating here, or I’d have been in real trouble! Heiho-kun just saved my life!_

Hina grinned at Heiho, causing him to blush and turn his head away bashfully before Hina took out her map again.

 _Alright, let’s see…_ She thought as they continued to swim, inspecting the map. _The Magenti-Star Piece should be…here…_ Hina and Heiho looked up from the map, only for their eyes to widen in shock as they saw nothing but wood and sea water, Hina panicking _What the…it’s GONE! But how? The map said it’s supposed to be here!_

Heiho brought his hands up to the cheeks of his mask as he started to panic _Oh no! The Magenti-Star Piece, it’s not here! Now what do I do?! Captain Wart and Mouser are going to punish me if I come back empty-handed!_

Hina noticed Heiho’s panicking state and swam around so that he was looking straight at her. She smiled reassuringly as she nodded, causing Heiho to calm down, lowering his hands as he smiled behind his mask and nodded.

_Alright…everything’s gonna be okay…we’ll…we’ll still find it…and…and then I won’t be punished!_

Seeing that Heiho had calmed down, Hina thought _Okay…let’s take another look around. It can’t be too…_

*Creak*

_Huh?_

Hina and Heiho slowly turned their heads, their eyes widening to see a reddish-violet eel staring them in the face, licking its lips as it savored its prey.

XXX

“So, what’s the plan again, Captain Wart…OW!”

Wart growled as Mouser soothed the aching lump on his head “Pay attention, sorry excuse for a sea mouse!” He took a deep breath and explained to the group of Red Shyguys “Once Green comes back with the girl, all of you will surround them, at which point, Green will hand the Magenti Star-Piece to me. Then you will take the girl and Green, take away her Frog Suit and his air tank, and throw them into the sea to the Unagi.”

As Wart cackled and Mouser giggled, Hiro started to sweat nervously, thinking _I’ve gotta get out of here! I’ve gotta think of how to send a message to Hina…_ “Ah!”

As Hiro slipped and fell off the pile of rocks, Wart and Mouser turned to glance over to where Hiro had stood, hearing his surprised shriek, only to shrug and turn back to their Shyguy battalion after seeing nothing there. Meanwhile Hiro tumbled into a large brown bag, resisting the urge to groan in pain as his fall was broken by a pile of black, metallic balls.

When Hiro had gotten his bearings together, he looked around at the balls that had caught his fall, his eyes widening as he realized _Oh no! These balls have fuses! They must be…_ Hiro’s gaze immediately turned to a stitching on the side of the bag, reading “BOMBS! Property of Mouser.” _BOMBS?! I’m in a bag full of bombs?! Oh man, I’m really starting to hate this game! No treasure is worth this!_

XXX

 _Ah!_ Hina shrieked to herself as she dodged yet another bite from Unagi. _Good thing I’m the Ultimate Swimming Pro and that I got this Frog Suit, otherwise I’d be fish food! Oh no, Heiho-kun!_

Hina’s eyes widened in fear as Heiho just barely swam away from Unagi’s next bite, the Shuguy sweating beneath his mask as he found himself trapped in the far corner of the ship. Unagi slithered forward, snapping its jaws hungrily as Heiho shivered in place, frozen by the prospect of his inevitable doom.

Hina’s eyes narrowed as she clenched a fist and vowed _No, I won’t let things end this way! No way Heiho-kun is going to become eel food! Alright, you slimy fish freak, feel the fury of my SPEEDING DIVE FROG KICK!_

Barely holding back a roar, Hina dove down and pumped her legs, kicking at top speed until she was shredding through the water like a speeding bullet. Once she was above Unagi’s head, she flipped into a downwards kick, making Unagi groan in pain as her foot made contact with its eye. Seeing his chance, Heiho swam away from the writhing eel, staring at Hina gratefully, making her smile and nod in a silent reply.

_Still, I only stunned it; we need a way to get out of here before that thing eats us so we can find the Ma…genti…Star…_

Hina and Heiho’s eyes widened as they saw the exact thing they were looking for, hanging loosely from the tip of Unagi’s swishing tail, Hine exclaiming to herself _That’s it! The Magenti-Star Piece! Now…how to get it safely…_

Hina swiftly gazed around the ship until her eyes settled on a group of four chests lying on the bottom floor, arranged in a triangle shape with one in the center.

_That’s it; that’s how we’ll beat it! Alright, time to make some sushi!_

She swiftly started swimming to the center chest, facing the now recovered Unagi as she started to wiggle like a worm. Unagi chomped its jaws and charged forward like a speeding bullet.

_That’s it…just a little more…that’s it, almost there…alright, NOW!_

Hina immediately swam out of the way at the last second, causing Unagi to collide with the treasure chest. An electrical current immediately surrounded Unagi, shocking and stunning it in place.

_Bullseye, just like Hiro!_

As soon as the electrical current passed, Hina immediately swam over to Unagi’s tail and grabbed the Magenti-Star Piece, exclaiming to herself _Yes, I got it!_ Heiho sweatdropped as Hina spun in place, ending by pumping her fist in the air in victory as she thought _Alright, now to get back to the surfa…_ “AGH!”

So enthralled by her victory was Hina that she failed to notice Unagi’s tail slamming into her as it turned to swim away, the reddish-violet eel off to find less resistant prey. Hina groaned as she slammed into the side of the ship’s hull, quickly losing consciousness as the wind was knocked out of her. Heiho grabbed the cheeks of his mask and panicked as she limply floated in the water, her grip slackening and causing her to drop the Magenti-Star Piece.

 _Oh no! She’s gonna run out of air at this rate, and there’s no more air bubbles in this ship! If I don’t get her to the surface soon, she’ll drown! But we’re too deep underwater to swim back up! If only I could raise…wait…_ Heiho’s eyes widened as he stared at the treasure chests and exclaimed to himself _That’s it! I can just raise the Jolly Roger and then the water will drain out! Now what was that order again? Come on, think, think…oh, that’s it! BRAIN BLAST!_

Pumping his legs as though his life depended on it, Heiho swam over to the chests and tapped them one by one.

_Top, Bottom Right, Bottom Left, and…CENTER!_

*Ding Ding, Diiiing Ding*

Heiho sighed in relief as he heard the ship creak and saw the water slowly drain from the Jolly Roger. With a look of determination, he took a deep breath and swam over to Hina’s limp form, removing his scuba mask and pressing it to Hina’s mouth. He let out another sigh of relief as he watched her chest move up and down as het lungs started to take in the extra air.

 _There…at least now she’ll still be alive…_ Heiho thought as he waited for the ship to drain completely.

XXX

“Buddha and sweet baby Jesus, save me!” Hiro whimpered in prayer as he kneeled among the bombs.

Meanwhile, Wart, Mouser and the Red Shyguys turned as they heard a splashing sound, the anthropomorphic frog grinning as he mused “I guess Green came through after all…Mouser! Prepare to board the Jolly Roger!”

“Yes, Captain Wart!” Turning to the battalion of Shyguys, Mouser commanded “You heard the Captain! Get the planks ready to board the Jolly Roger!”

“Hei-Ho!” The Shyguys nodded before running to the pile of wooden planks and ladders on the other side of the beach.

Hiro yelped from inside the bag of bombs as Mouser grabbed it, following Wart as they followed the Shyguys to the Jolly Roger.

_I can’t believe this…shrunk to seven inches and about to get blasted to bits in a bomb bag…I didn’t do anything to deserve this! …Except try to kill Sakura, and vote Makoto guilty for murder, and nearly condemn him to death again during the final Class Trial…_

XXX

Hina groaned as her eyes fluttered open, Heiho’s mask gradually clearing in her vision as he carried her in his arms while he walked up the stairs to the outside deck.

“Hei…Heiho-kun?” Hina groaned before she asked weakly “Did you…did you save me?”

“Hei-ho!” Heiho confirmed with a nod, making Hina give a beaming smile of gratitude.

“Oh, thank you, Heiho!” Heiho blushed beneath his mask as Hina looked around, spotting the Magenti-Star Piece in his hand as she asked “Oh, did you get that for me too? Oh, you’re a real hero, Heiho-kun! Much more than Hiro, that’s for sure.”

“Hei…ho…” Heiho stammered, making Hina smile. 

She was completely oblivious to the nervous sweat dripping behind his mask, believing he was just being bashful again when he was in fact facing a moral conundrum.

_What do I do? Do I…do I really give this goddess the Magenti-Star Piece? Or do I betray this girl who’s shown me nothing but kindness in order to serve my Captain?_

Her strength recovered, Hina jumped out of his arms, stretching in her Frog Suit and removing her goggles from her eyes as she suggested “Alright, now let’s go get Hiro and get back to that Warp Pipe so we ca…AAAHHHHH!”

Hina shrieked, Heiho shivering in fear as they were instantly confronted by a row of red Shyguys. Before Hina could ask what was going on, Wart and Mouser landed in between the row of Shyguys and Hina, causing Heiho to cower behind her in fear.

“I am the great Captain Wart!”

As Wart cackled, the others sweatdropped at the dramatic introduction as Hina deduced “You must be that Wart guy that fought with that Bowser guy…”

A vein pulsed in Wart’s forehead as he roared “HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ME TO THAT LOWLY TURTLE! I’M TEN, NO, A HUNDRED TIMES THE SUPREME LEADER THAT KING KOOPA WAS!”

“Captain Wart, remember your blood pressure, sir!” Mouser cautioned in a panic, leading Wart to pinch the bridge of his nose and take a deep breath as he calmed down.

“…As I was saying…once I get the pieces of the Magenti-Star, I’ll be Public Enemy #1 to the Mushroom Kingdom, not that sad excuse for a turtle.” He then spotted Heiho peering out from behind Hina and growled “Green! I see you cowering over there, as usual. Now, get over here and give me the MAgenti-Star Piece.”

Hina gasped, feeling her heart break as she turned to Heiho in shock, asking “…Hei-ho-kun…is it true? Are you one of Wart’s…minions?”

“…Hei-ho…” Heiho whimpered, looking away in guilt at Hina’s betrayed, disappointed expression.

Wart rolled his eyes and complained “Ugh, is the soap opera over yet? I’m still waiting for that Star Piece, Green. You’ve always been the weak link, cowering in fear instead of taking charge like the others in your platoon. That’s why you’ve haven’t earned your red robe and you never will; you’re too soft!”

“Hei-ho! Hei-ho!” The other Shyguys chanted, jeering at their comrade, making him whimper as the memories of being bullied by his fellow Shyguys came rushing back.

“Hei-ho…”

Wart raised an eyebrow and demanded “What, you want to prove me wrong? Then hand over that Magenti-Star Piece, and maybe I might change my mind one day. So, what’s it gonna be, Green?”

Heiho sluggishly walked over, stopping halfway as he wondered _What do I do? Do I obey my King? Or do I repay this girl who didn’t make fun of me?_

“Heiho-kun…” Hina muttered, her eyes becoming watery at the betrayal of someone she considered a friend who saved her life.

“…Heiho.”

“Huh?” Hina asked, the other Shyguys along with Captain Wart and Mouser gaping in shock as Heiho turned around, walking over to Hina and presenting the Magenti-Star piece to her.

Hina sniffled as she wiped her eyes “Heiho-kun…are you giving me the Magenti-Star Piece?”

“Hei-ho!”

Hina beamed and accepted it, whispering “Thank you, Heiho-kun.”

“Hei-ho!” Heiho cried, beaming as he saw Hina’s pure smile again.

The both turned around as Wart growled at them “I should have known better than to have you spy on the girl, Green. Well, since you’ve become a full-blown traitor now, I’ll just have to give you both a proper sendoff!” Heiho whirled around, stretching his arms out in a protective gesture as Wart ordered “Mouser, use one of your bombs to blast them to Star Bits!”

“Right away, Captain!” Mouser nodded, making Hina and Heiho tense up in fear as Mouser opened his bomb bag, reaching in with one paw to grab a bomb.

“Aah!”

 _Hiro?_ Hina wondered as she spotted something jump out of the bag.

*Sizzle*

“…Mouser, what’s that sizzling sound?”

Mouser pulled out a bomb, his eyes widening as he exclaimed “Captain! One of my bombs has been set off somehow!”

“What?! You idiot, get rid of it before it…”

*BOOM*

“AAH!” Wart and Mouser screamed as Hina wrapped Heiho in a protective embrace, whirling around to protect Heiho from the blast radius as she closed her eyes.

“WE’RE BLASTING OFF!”

“HEI-HOOOOOOO!”

Hina reluctantly opened her eyes and looked up, seeing Wart, Mouser, and the red Shyguys disappear among the stars twinkling in the skies.

 _Hmm…just like Team Rocket…_ Hina thought with a smile as she released Heiho from her embrace and assured him “Heiho-kun, you can open your eyes now. We’re safe, thanks to you.”

“…Hei-ho?” Heiho asked as he opened his eyes, looking up at Hina with a relieved expression now that he realized that his former comrades were gone.

“What am I, chop liver? I was the one who saved you guys, for serious!” Hiro exclaimed as he ran over to them. _I thought you guys had drowned under the sea, for serious!_

Hina grinned as she exclaimed “Hiro! We would have been barbequed if you hadn’t set off that bomb when you did!” As soon as she said that, Hina cocked her head in confusion as she asked “Hold on…how did you know to set that bomb off?”

Hiro grinned proudly as he explained “Don’t you remember? I’m the Ultimate Clairvoyant! I knew how and when to set it off because I predicted I’d set it off at the right time. And you know my predictions have at least a 30% chance of coming true!”

Hina smiled and nodded “Well, I’m glad your fortune came right for once, Hiro.”

Hiro laughed, thinking _I’m glad she bought it. It would have been really embarrassing to tell her I was just trying to jump out of the bomb bag and accidentally set off the fuse with my shoes…_

Oblivious to Hiro’s lie, Hina exclaimed “Boy do I have a tale for you! But first…” Hina turned to Heiho and asked “Heiho-kun, could you steer this ship back to shore so we can get back to Princess Peach’s Castle?”

“Hei-Ho!” Heiho saluted before he scrambled to the top deck and began operating the steering wheel, leaving Hina and Hiro alone to talk.

XXX

As the Jolly Roger came to a stop, Hina and Heiho jumped off the ship’s bow. Once they had landed on the beach, Hiro jumped off Hina’s shoulder, his jacket acting as a cape as he glided to the Warp Pipe.

He then proceeded to get on his knees and kiss the rim, crying “Oh, I’m so happy to be alive! Alive and on solid land and about to reunite the Magenti-Star Pieces so we can go home!”

Hina and Heiho sweatdropped as they approached the pipe, Hina turning to Heiho and kneeling down before she said “Well, Heiho-kun, I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for saving my life, and I’ll always treasure you as one of my friends.”

As Hina stood up and turned around, Heiho realized _I don’t want this to be goodbye. Hina…Hina’s been the only person to show me kindness. She even gave me a name! I want to stay by her side until the very end!_ He then walked up and tugged on her Frog Suit sleeve, making her turn around and stare curiously at his determined expression as he exclaimed “HEI-HO!”

Her eyes widening in realization, she asked “Heiho-kun…are you saying you want to come with us?”

Heiho nodded seriously, confirming “Hei-ho!”

Before Hina could reply, Hiro interjected “Hina, I don’t know about this, for serious. You said that he was working for that Wart guy before, right? Who’s to say he won’t betray us like he betrayed Wart?”

Hina scowled and rejected “Oh please, Hiro! I like having this little guy around; at least there’s **one** short guy around here I can trust. Like it or not, he **stays!** ” She turned around again and cooed “Don’t worry, all our friends are gonna love you! Byakuya and Toko are kind of jerks, but they’re **our** jerks! Kyoko’s a little quiet, but she’ll warm up to you. And Makoto’s just the sweetest boy you can ima…”

Hina trailed off, stunned into silence as Heiho reached up and removed his mask, exposing his true face to her.

“Heiho-kun…you…you took off your mask…” 

Heiho sweated nervously, anxious about her impending reaction to his face, though he had nothing to fear as Hina wrapped her arms around him, drawing him to her breasts in a bear hug and nuzzling her nose against his head.

“Oh, you’re so ADORABLE!”

Heiho blushed as she let him go, grinning cutely before he replaced his mask and, along with Hina, turned to Hiro.

As she lifted him up to stand on the rim of the Warp Pipe, Hiro asked “So, um…can you show me what you look like to?”

Before Heiho could answer, Hina interjected “No way! You did nothing but doubt and insult him! You’re not much better than the minions who bullied him! The secret of his adorable face is my privilege and mine alone.”

Hiro sighed grumbled as Hina grinned while Heiho rubbed the back of his hood bashfully and exclaimed “Hei-ho!”

Staring into the depths of the Warp Pipe, the trio bent their knees as Hina counted down “Alright, on three. One, two, THREE!”

They then jumped into the Warp Pipe, screaming as they fell into its depths.

”Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”

“Heiiiiiiihoooooooooooo!”


	5. Chapter Four: The Magenti-Star Complete!  An Unexpected Visitor?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having collected the three pieces of the Magenti-Star, Makoto, Kyoko, Byakuya, Toko, Hina, and Hiro all meet up back at Peach's Castle. Will their return home go smoothly? Or will there be one last surprise left for them to overcome?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here's the next chapter in Super Danganronpa Bros., commissioned by NotFanFicNet. Please read and comment below, and enjoy!

Green dinosaur feet in brown boots trotted down the dirt road, its owner focused straight ahead as it continued to make its way to Princess Peach’s Castle. Makoto sat upright, his arms wrapped around Yoshi’s neck for support, a determined look in his eyes while his cheeks flushed pink, feeling Kyoko’s breasts press against his back as one arm lay wrapped loosely around his waist while her free hand lay flat against his tail.

_She’s been awfully quiet lately…is something…_

He turned his head to check on her, only to for his eyes to soften as he realized that she had fallen asleep in the middle of petting his tail.

*Snore*

Makoto smiled as his Tanuki Ears twitched at the sound of her snoring, musing as her Bunny Ears twitched _She must have been really tired from our little adventure today…I hope she’s at least having some good dreams right now. She deserves to have some good dreams after everything she’s done for us…for me…I wouldn’t be alive right now if it wasn’t for Kyoko! Sleep tight, Kyoko…you deserve to relax for as long as you can, sleeping with that cute, peaceful face…_

Makoto then silently tugged on one of Yoshi’s spines, causing the dinosaur to turn its head to look at him curiously.

In a hushed whisper so he wouldn’t wake up Kyoko, Makoto instructed “Hey boy, why don’t we make this trek a little more leisurely so Kyoko can relax and dream a little longer, okay?”

With a hushed “Yoshi”, Yoshi nodded, smiling with a wink before he turned his head back to the road and continued to trot at half-speed, allowing Makoto to relax into the pleasure of feeling Kyoko sleepily hold onto him.

XXX

 _…Well, it was nice while it lasted…_ Makoto thought as Yoshi finally came to a stop in front of Princess Peach’s castle. With a reluctant sigh, Makoto turned his head around and tapped Kyoko lightly on the arm, murmuring “Kyoko…Kyoko, we’re here. Time to wake up…”

Makoto blushed as Kyoko merely nuzzled his back with her nose and mumbled “No…Kyoko comfortable…she sleep here!”

 _Believe me, I don’t want to disturb your peaceful rest, but we’re already here…_ Makoto tried again, shaking her shoulder gently as he said a little louder “Kyoko, it’s time to wake up…”

“Ehehehe…”

 _Huh?_ Makoto wondered as Kyoko’s sleepy giggles died down. _Did she just…giggle? But why…_ Makoto’s curious gaze wandered until he saw Kyoko’s ear twitch, making his eyes widen as he realized _Could it be…_

Makoto leaned close and gently blew into one of Kyoko’s Bunny Ears, making it twitch as she smiled again.

“Ehehehe…”

 _I was right! When I told her to wake up, my mouth must have been too close to her Bunny Ear and my breath must have tickled her! Wow…I never imagined Kyoko would be ticklish…_ Makoto looked down at his tail, its tip resting gently against Kyoko’s belly before he grinned mischievously as he thought _This is just too good to pass up…_ “Kyoko…if you don’t wake up, I’m gonna tickle you until you DO wake up…”

Kyoko groaned, nuzzling his back with her nose in an unconscious act of defiance.

“Have it your way…alright, tickle tickle, Kyoko…”

Makoto proceeded to brush his tail up and down her belly, her shirt powerless to protect her against his tail’s furry, tickly texture as she smiled and started to giggle again.

“Eeeheheheheheheheheeeee!” Kyoko giggled as her eyes started to crack open, making Makoto smile as he continued to tickle her with his tail. “Hahahahahahahahahahaaaaa!”

As Kyoko continued to giggle and twitch, Makoto’s tail ended up dislodging her shirt from underneath her skirt, exposing her bare belly and making Makoto grin as he circled the tip of his tail all over her ticklish tummy, teasing in her Bunny Ear “Tickle Tickle, Kyoko!”

Kyoko’s eyes slowly opened more and more with each brush of his tail, busting into laughter as her belly quivered.

“EEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEE! THAT TIIIIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHICKLEEESSS! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! STAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAP!”

“Oof!” Makoto exclaimed as Kyoko reflexively pushed him away, causing him to lose his balance and fall off Yoshi, causing him to faceplant in the dirt.

*Thud*

Kyoko took deep breaths to refill the oxygen she had used up during her tickle-induced laughter, her grogginess fading with each breath she took in as she slowly became aware of the world around her.

“Huh? Did…did I fall asleep?” She wondered as she looked around, musing as she spotted Princess Peach’s Castle “I must have, since last thing I remember was snuggling against Makoto for balance on the ride back…” Kyoko blushed at the memory before she apologized “Apologies, Mako…Makoto?” Growing worried as she looked around and saw no sign of her favorite Luckster, she asked “Ano…Yoshi, was it? Do you know where Makoto is?”

Yoshi turned his head to look at her before pointing to the ground with his arm. Kyoko followed the direction of his pointing finger to see Makoto lying face-down on the ground, his tail lying limp over his bottom.

“Makoto!” Kyoko exclaimed worriedly, immediately leaping off Yoshi before rushing over to Makoto’s side.

She kneeled at his head, resisting the urge to stroke his Tanuki Ears as she grabbed his shoulders and turned him onto him back, revealing his dazed expression, swirls in his eyes.

“Makoto…are you okay?” She asked as she cradled his head to rest it on her lap, reaching down to stroke his Tanuki Ears as he groaned.

“K…Kyoko…?” Makoto’s eyes went back to normal as he called out her name, regaining awareness as he looked into Kyoko’s violet eyes.

Worry sparkled in her purple orbs as she nodded with a relieved expression “Thank goodness you’re okay…what happened, Makoto? How did you fall off and hit your head?”

Makoto bit his lip, thinking _…I can’t tell her that she pushed me off…it WAS kinda my fault for tickling her in the first place, and she didn’t really mean to…I gotta make up a believable lie…_ Makoto chuckled nervously and fibbed “Oh, I just ano…got unlucky and lost my balance, that’s all…” _There, that’s not a total lie, ne?_

 _…He’s lying…_ Before she could glare at him, Kyoko reigned in her anger and reminded herself _Calm down, Kyoko, no need to overreact. He must have a reason for lying, just like he had a reason for keeping Sakura’s betrayal a secret._ Kyoko’s brow furrowed as she pondered _Let’s see…I remember hearing Makoto’s voice…and then I remember this tickling sensation…I thought it was just a dream, but maybe…maybe he tickled me awake with his tail and I…_ Kyoko’s eyes widened, then her expression turned slightly downcast as she realized _I pushed him off…and he lied about it so I wouldn’t feel guilty…that selfless boy…_

Kyoko felt her heart beat faster, making her blush as she smiled lovingly at the Racoon Boy whose head was resting in her lap.

Blushing himself, Makoto assured her as he stared lovingly into her eyes “Anyway, I’m fine, Kyoko, don’t worry about it.”

 _Makoto…you really are too nice for your own good…_ Kyoko thought as she bent over, her lips inching tantalizingly closer to Makoto’s lips until they could feel each other’s breath against their lips, tempting them to kiss.

“Ah, young love, it’s always a beautiful sight to behold…”

Makoto and Kyoko froze, their eyes widening as Kyoko turned her head while Makoto sat up to see Captain Toad looking at them with a knowing smile on his face, inadvertently ruining their romantic moment. Makoto and Kyoko blushed a deep shade of red, suddenly embarrassed as they looked at each other for a split second before turning around, Makoto slapping his cheeks while Kyoko discreetly tucked her shirt back into her skirt.

_What the…was Kyoko…going to…kiss me? But why? I’m just an average boy who can’t even control his own powers! What would a girl as amazing as Kyoko Kirigiri see in me?!_

_What the hell?! Why was I about to kiss Makoto?! I mean, sure he’s cute, especially with that fluffy, tickly Racoon Tail, those fuzzy Tanuki ears, those bright green eyes and that hopeful smile…no, bad Kyoko!_

Captain Toad cocked his head in confusion as he asked “Is…is something the matter?”

“Yoooshiiiii…” Yoshi groaned in disbelief as he facepalmed before glaring at the dense Mushroom Retainer.

Captain Toad’s eyes finally widened in realization before he bowed his head and apologized “I’m sorry…I just assumed you two were already dating…”

Still blushing, Makoto stammered “N…no…we’re…we’re just friends…”

Kyoko felt her heart crack at Makoto’s denial but shook off her confused heartbreak, coughing into her fist before turning back to Captain Toad, though her cheeks were still flushed pink.

“Let’s…move on…Makoto, do you still have the Magenti-Star Piece we recovered in Bob-omb Battlefield?”

His blush dissipating now that he was distracted, Makoto’s eyes widened as he exclaimed “Oh, right, sorry!” Makoto reached into his hoodie and pulled out the sparkling Star Piece, offering “Here.”

“Great, thanks!” Captain Toad exclaimed, accepting and marveling at the Magenti-Star Piece as he announced “Now we just have to wait for your friends to return with the other two pieces.”

Makoto and Kyoko nodded, Kyoko assuming her contemplative pose as she mused “I wonder if the others had to deal with anything in the same league that we had to deal with.”

Makoto nodded, admitting “Yeah, I’m worried too. None of them have played the Mario games before, so they might not know how to fight the enemies in this world, especially without any power-ups.” Makoto smiled as he continued “But they’re Ultimates who have the will and talent to make it out of tough scrapes, power-ups or no. So as long as they keep hope, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

Kyoko, Yoshi, and Captain Toad turned to look at Makoto smiling as they felt themselves become infected with his hope. Makoto’s cheeks flushed pink again as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, making the three of them snicker.

Once his snickering had died down, Captain Toad turned to Yoshi and asked “So, how did you come across this Yoshi anyway?”

His blush vanishing again, Makoto explained “We were fighting a Lakitu for the Magenti-Star Piece and this Yoshi came and decided to help us.” Makoto grinned and bowed, making Yoshi blush as he said reverently “It really is an honor to meet the legendary Yoshi.”

“Yoshi!” Yoshi exclaimed as Makoto lifted his head up, making the boy giggle as Yoshi licked his face affectionately.

Kyoko closed her eyes in jealousy, as she thought _This is cute and all, but you need to be focusing on me…mission! You need to be focusing on the mission! Kami, what’s wrong with me?! Am I really so in love with him that I can’t keep my head out of the clouds?!_

Kyoko opened her eyes, her confused musings interrupted as Captain Toad cocked his head and asked “Ano…what do you mean by **the legendary Yoshi?** ”

Makoto scratched his cheek with a confused expression on his face as he replied “Ano…the Yoshi that helped Mario in most of his adventures? What other Yoshi would I be talking about?”

Captain Toad shook his head and denied “That can’t be true; this Yoshi can’t be the one that helped Mario back on Yoshi’s Island.” Seeing Makoto cock his head in confusion and Kyoko stare at him with an intrigued sparkle in her eyes, Captain Toad explained “This Yoshi is a slightly different shade of green compared to the one that Mario met, and he looks like he’s a little younger than that Yoshi, probably around your age in Yoshi years.”

“Hmm…” Makoto hummed, mimicking Kyoko’s contemplative pose before turning to Yoshi and asking “Hey boy, have you ever met a human named Mario? Short, plump, red hat, blue overalls, and has a mustache?”

“Yoshi?” Yoshi asked, cocking his head in confusion.

Captain Toad nodded and deduced “This little guy must have migrated from Yoshi’s Island recently. Most Green Yoshis are descendants of the Grand Chief Yoshi that helped Mario rescue Luigi from Kamek and Bowser when they were babies.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in realization, his tail standing erect as he exclaimed “Whoa! I didn’t even think about that!”

Kyoko nodded and mused “It makes sense; this Yoshi must belong to some kind of pack or herd. To the untrained eye, they all probably look the same, but are completely different individuals.”

“…Yoshi…” Yoshi uttered, feeling depressed as he lowered his head, thinking that he did something wrong.

Catching onto Yoshi’s hurt feelings, Makoto reached over to pet Yoshi’s snout, assuring him “Don’t’ worry about it, boy, even if you didn’t know Mario, you were still a great help! We never would have recovered the Magenti-Star Piece without you!”

Instantly cheered up, Yoshi exclaimed “YOSHI!” before rubbing his snout against Makoto’s Tanuki Ears, making him giggle.

“Eeeheheheheheeee! Yoshi, that tickles!”

As Makoto continued to giggle, Kyoko smiled, thinking _…That’s…kind of cute…seeing him giggle like that…_

“Haahahahahahaaa…alright, enough, enough, Yoshi!”

As Yoshi finally stopped tickling Makoto’s Tanuki Ears, Captain Toad announced “Alright, I’ll prepare some food for you all while we wait for your friends to come back.”

*Growl*

Makoto, Kyoko, and Yoshi blushed as their stomachs growled again, reminding them that they still haven’t eaten since before Mukuro’s Class Trial.

“…It would be nice to finally get a chance to sit down and eat something…” Kyoko admitted.

“Yoshi…” Yoshi nodded, agreeing with the Bunny-Eared Detective.

Makoto beamed and pumped his fist in the air, his tail wagging as he declared “Alright! When the others get back, we’re gonna have a celebration lunch!”

XXX

“Hm?”

Makoto’s Tanuki Ears twitched as he turned his head to the nearby warp pipe, causing Kyoko’s brow to furrow as she asked “What is it, Makoto?”

Makoto took a contemplative stance as he replied “I thought I heard something…Kyoko, look!”

Kyoko turned around, focusing on a green-suited individual with a green-hooded Shyguy flanking her side.

Captain Toad cocked his head in confusion and wondered “That’s weird…why would a sea monster and a Shyguy be coming out of the Water World Warp Pipe?”

Sighing, Kyoko explained “Take a closer look; the one with the green suit has a feminine body shape, so odds are it’s Hina with some kind of power-up. Though I don’t know why a…Shyguy is with her…or where Hiro is.”

As Hina got closer and waved to them, Captain Toad exclaimed “Oh yeah, I see it now…the Frog suit and lack of a ponytail just threw me off…”

Makoto nodded, musing “I am curious as to why she doesn’t have her ponytail anymore…” Makoto beamed, almost hopping up and down as he exclaimed “But even more importantly…Hina got the Frog Suit! HINA GOT THE FROG SUIT!” Kyoko rolled her eyes in amusement as Makoto called out and waved to her “HEY! HINA! GREAT JOB GETTING THE FROG SU…”

Before Makoto could finish, Hina smiled before picking up the Shyguy flanking her and bouncing up into the air, making Makoto’s eyes widen in shock before Hina landed in front of him. Makoto yelped, startled as he fell back on his bottom. Kyoko’s expression indicated surprise as well at Hina’s increased acrobatic capabilities, she hid it better.

As Hina put down the Shyguy, Makoto’s shocked expression turned into a smile as he fell victim to a laughing fit, clutching his belly and kicking his legs as he exclaimed “You mastered the Frog Suit! You really mastered the Frog Suit! You’re amazing, Hina!”

Hina and Kyoko sweatdropped at Makoto’s antics as he calmed down, sighing as he stood up and dusted off his pants before they turned to each other, Kyoko giving a small smile as she greeted “It’s good to see you, Hina. You certainly found a change in wardrobe during your adventure.”

Hina beamed and exclaimed “Yeah, totally! It’s amplifies my jumping capabilities, and it lets me hold my breath for longer underwater…” Hina pouted and grumbled “…though I lost my hairband in the water, so I had to deal with it getting in my face while I was swimming…”

 _Ah, so that’s why her hair was down…_ Makoto and Kyoko realized before Hina trailed off, her eyes focusing on Kyoko’s Bunny Ears.

Hina’s eyes grew bigger and shinier, a beaming smile on her face as she leaned into Kyoko’s space and exclaimed “Oh, Kyoko, your Bunny Ears are SO CUTE! Where’d you get them? You look absolutely adorable as a Bunny Girl, Kyoko!”

As Hina continued to gush over Kyoko’s cute Bunny Ears, Kyoko kept her standard, stoic expression, but felt the blood rush to her cheeks with every compliment from the Ultimate Swimming Pro.

“She’s just the cutest with those Bunny Ears, right, Makoto?”

Kyoko froze as Makoto blushed, admitting while scratching his cheek nervously “Y…yeah…Kyoko looks…quite cute…”

_He…he thinks I’m…cute…?_

Her whole face turning as red as a tomato, Kyoko turned around, trying to get her emotions under control as Hina teased “Aww, come on, Kyoko, don’t be shy! It’s a compliment; what teenage girl doesn’t want to be called cute…”

*Cough cough*

Kyoko sighed in relief as Captain Toad’s cough interrupted Hina’s teasing, making Hina and Makoto turn to face him as he asked “So Hina…did you bring back the Magenti-Star Piece? And why is a Shyguy accompanying you?”

Makoto furrowed his brow as he wondered “Yeah, and where’s Hiro? Didn’t he pair up with you?”

Still fighting to vanquish her embarrassment, Kyoko kept her back to them as she mused “Knowing Hiro, he probably got lost in the Warp Pipes.”

“Hey! Don’t be mean!”

“What?!” Makoto, Kyoko, and Captain Toad exclaimed as they heard the reverberations of Hiro’s voice, looking around in an attempt to discern his location, only to furrow their brows in confusion as they couldn’t spot him.

“…Please tell me Hiro’s power-up didn’t give him the power of invisibility…” Kyoko voiced with an unusual amount of fear in her voice. _I still remember when Hiro and Hifumi and Makoto peeped on us while we were bathing. I don’t want to give Hiro another chance to peek. Well…Makoto I wouldn’t mind taking a peek…what’s wrong with me! Why am I thinking it would be okay for Makoto to look at me naked again?! And why wasn’t I angry with him the first time?! Could it be I…?_

Kyoko’s confused musing was interrupted by Makoto’s reassurance “Don’t worry, Kyoko; there’s no invisibility power-up in these games.”

Captain Toad nodded “That’s right; the closest alternative would be the Vanish Cap; that lets you walk through walls, but its effects are only temporary.”

Kyoko let out a sigh of relief, nodding gratefully before she pondered “If that’s the case, then where…?”

*Cough cough*

Makoto, Kyoko, and Captain Toad turned to Hina, who smiled nervously and pointed at the Shyguy at her feet.

“…Did Hiro’s power-up cause him to transform into this creature?” Kyoko wondered.

“Hei-ho!” The Shyguy retorted angrily, making Kyoko realize that her guess was wrong.

Hina smiled and placated “It’s okay, Heiho-kun, no need to get upset about it.”

 _Heiho-kun?_ Makoto, Kyoko, and Captain Toad wondered as Hina placated Heiho.

She then looked at the others and introduced “Everyone, this is Heiho-kun; we met in Water World. Heiho-kun, these are my friends Makoto and Kyoko, and that’s Captain Toad, so say hi to them, okay?”

“Heiho!” Heiho greeted nicely, waving at them.

Makoto and Kyoko nodded at Heiho, while Captain Toad waved back, relieved that this Shyguy was one of their allies.

“As for Hiro…well…” Heiho immediately stepped in front of Hina, revealing a seven-inch Hiro as she gestured to him and explained “Here he is…”

Makoto and Captain Toad’s eyes bulged out of their heads as they thought _Oh my…Hiro…got the…Mini-Mushroom…_

They both brought their palms to their mouths, muffling their snickers as they tried their best not to laugh at Hiro’s misfortune.

Kyoko meanwhile took a step backwards, threatening “…Stay away from me…the last thing I need is you using your altered size to sneak a peek up my skirt.”

Hiro gaped, shocked and offended that Kyoko would think he would do that, causing him to exclaim “I’d never do something so blatantly underhanded, for serious! You’re just being a wascally wabbit!”

Hina, Makoto, and Captain Toad released muffled giggles, making Kyoko blush in embarrassment before she shot Hiro her Kirigiri glare, making him quake in his shoes as she threatened “I will step on you!”

Hiro yelped in fear, while Hina, Makoto, and Captain Toad sweated nervously, feeling as though red-hot flames were emanating from Kyoko’s aura.

Captain Toad leaned over and whispered “Makoto, your friend is scary…”

Nodding, Makoto mumbled “Yeah, you don’t wanna be on the receiving end of her anger, take it from me…” Makoto cautiously approached her and started petting her Bunny Ears, urging “Kyoko, calm down, okay? Hiro’s just being…Hiro…”

As Kyoko sighed and let go of her anger, starting to purr at Makoto touching her sensitive Bunny Ears, Hina exclaimed “Yeah, and believe it or not, Hiro deserves some praise this time!” Seeing the others’ confused stares, she clarified “Hiro helped us defeat Captain Wart and get the Magenti-Star Piece!”

Makoto’s eyes bulged out of his head as he exclaimed, removing his hands from Kyoko’s Bunny Ears “Wait, seriously?! You guys met Wart…and HIRO beat him?!”

Captain Toad gave an impressed smile as he asked “Wow, how’d you get the Magenti-Star Piece from Captain Wart?”

Hiro chuckled gloatily, then stumbled in front of Hina and Heiho and rested his hands against his hips in a heroic pose, his jacket flapping like a cape as he proclaimed “Be amazed, as I’m about to tell you a swashbuckling story about how I, at a mere seven inches, defeated the evil Captain and rescued Hina and Maskass!”

 _…You mean Heiho-kun?_ The others thought, sweatdropping at Hiro’s exaggeration.

“Hei-ho!” Heiho retorted angrily at the insult as Hina scolded Hiro for insulting Heiho-kun.

“I’ll believe that when I hear it…” Kyoko snorted, thinking with an amused smirk _This should be hilarious…_

As Hina and Hiro stopped arguing, Hiro cleared his throat and exclaimed “Now then, it all started when we came out of the Warp Piiiiiiiii…”

Hiro screamed as a long tongue wrapped around his body and pulled him away. Their eyes widened in shock, Makoto, Kyoko, Captain Toad, and Hina turned to see Hiro disappear in Yoshi’s mouth, the green dinosaur bashfully licking its lips.

A stern, oddly paternal expression on his face, Makoto stormed over to Yoshi and scolded “Bad! That’s bad, Yoshi! Hiro’s our friend, and we don’t eat our friends! Now spit him out!”

A second later, Yoshi froze before forcefuly spitting out Hiro with a blech of disgust, making it clear that his motivation for spitting Hiro out had more to do with Hiro’s taste than any guilt from Makoto’s lecture.

“Ew, ew, eww…my life just flashed before my eyes…and I’m covered in dinosaur slobber! You mangy…”

“Stop.” Hiro clammed up, silenced by Kyoko’s forceful command and Kirigiri glare as she walked over to Yoshi and petted his snout, pointing out “This Yoshi hasn’t matured yet; he didn’t know any better. Besides, I don’t blame him for spitting you out; your greed is absolutely grotesque.”

 _…Technically you’re not wrong, but that’s still really cold, Kyoko…_ Makoto and Hina thought, sweatdropping as Kyoko continued to pet Yoshi’s snout while the young dinosaur nodded in agreement.

It was then that Yoshi turned his gaze to Heiho, licking his lips and causing Heiho to exclaim fearfully “Hei-ho!” before he ran around Hina, hiding behind her legs.

Hina turned to smile at Heiho and assure him “Don’t worry, Heiho-kun, I won’t let Yoshi eat you.”

“Hei-hoooo…” Heiho whimpered, leaving Hina to turn back to glare at Yoshi.

“Alright, you may have saved Makoto and Kyoko, but you’re not gonna eat my new friend, is that clear?!”

“Yooooshiiiii?” Yoshi pleaded, licking his lips before Makoto walked between them, trying to keep the peace.

“Hina, Heiho-kun, calm down, nobody’s getting eaten, okay?” Once Hina and Heiho sighed in relief, Makoto turned back to Yoshi and lectured “Yoshi, boy, you can’t eat Heiho-kun. He’s Hina’s friend, so even if he tastes good, you can’t eat him, okay? We’ll have a plate of food for you when it’s ready, so just hang on until then, okay boy?”

“…Yoooshiii…” Yoshi nodded, dejected that he couldn’t eat a perfectly delicious Shyguy.

As Kyoko walked over to pet his snout, cheering up the dejected dinosaur, Makoto turned to Hina, who had just succeeded in coaxing Heiho to come out from behind her legs as he asked “Anyway…Hina, where did this Shyguy come from?”

Hina turned to Makoto with a furrowed brow as Heiho gingerly stepped to her side and she asked “Shyguy? Is that what this little guy is? I just thought he was a guy that was shy…” Hina chuckled “Hey, that sounded cute; a guy that was shy…”

Makoto reminded her “Hina, focus!”

“Oh, sorry…” Hina blushed, rubbing the back of her head bashfully before she assumed a contemplative pose and began “Let’s see, it all started when…”

XXX

“Wow, Hina! I’m so jealous; I can’t believe you got to see a Shyguy’s face!” Makoto looked like a gleeful kid opening presents on Christmas morning as he kneeled before Heiho and asked “Hey, Heiho-kun? Can I see what’s under your mask too? Pleeeeaaassseeeeee?”

“Hei-ho! Hei-ho!” Heiho exclaimed, ducking under him hood and pressing his hands to his cheeks.

Frowning, Makoto looked up to Hina and clasped his hands together as he begged “Please, Hina! We’re friends aren’t we? I’ve always wanted to see what a Shyguy looks like underneath his mask. So…”

Hana scratched her cheek, feeling bad about denying him as she declined “…Sorry, Makoto…but Heiho-kun’s face is something reserved for me and me alone.”

Makoto groaned, bowing his head dejectedly as his Tanuki Ears drooped, mumbling “My childhood dream...ruined…”

As Makoto sniffled, Kyoko took pity on him and kneeled behind him, stroking his tail with her and making him purr. The others sweatdropped, smiling at the cute scene until Makoto stood up, Kyoko retracting her hand now that he was cheered up.

Captain Toad then interjected “Anyway, congratulations on defeating Wart. He’s not as big of a threat as Bowser…but he still shouldn’t be taken lightly.” Looking down at the Magenti-Star Piece, Captain Toad wondered “…I wonder when Byakuya and Toko will return with the last piece…”

Hiro nodded “Yeah, I was wondering when they’d get back too…for serious…”

Makoto nodded “Yeah, I’m kinda worried to be honest…I mean…I know you and Hiro managed, Hina, but they’re not exactly well acquainted with Super Mario…not to mention the fact that Byakuya can’t stand Toko…”

Captain Toad’s eyes widened as he exclaimed “Wait, Byakuya and Toko don’t get along?”

Kyoko shook her head and corrected “ **Byakuya** can’t stand Toko. Toko on the other hand is in love with Byakuya to the point that she stalks him.”

“…Ah…I can relate…” Captain Toad nodded in understanding, causing the others’ eyes to widen and stare at him.

Captain Toad started to sweat nervously at the attention while a light bulb went off in Makoto’s head, the Racoon Luckster smirking as he asked “Captain Toad…does this have anything to do with…Toadette?”

Captain Toad blushed before sighing in admission “…Yes, it’s Toadette…” In an effort to save face, Captain Toad frantically assured them “But she only stalked me so she could go on adventures with me!”

Nodding in understanding, Makoto asked “Is Toadette still going on adventures with you?”

Captain Toad shook his head and explained “No, she stays at home and takes care of our two kids.”

Makoto gaped, eyes widened as he exclaimed in shock “You…have…KIDS?”

Captain Toad shrugged and replied “What can I say? We got to know each other so well on those adventures that one day we just…clicked…”

Captain Toad smiled as he flashed back to his wedding day, leaving Makoto to stand there baffled as he wondered “This wasn’t in any of the Mario Games I played as a kid…”

Confused, Captain Toad cocked his head and asked “Um…what do you mean by Mario Games? Do you mean the Olympic Games we have with Sonic and his friends every year?”

Makoto, Kyoko, and Hina sweatdropped and deadpanned _…We probably shouldn’t tell them they’re all video game characters…_ while Hiro took an uncharacteristically contemplative pose as he closed his eyes, apparently deep in thought as he tried to rack his brain.

*Creak*

“Hm?” Captain Toad wondered as he and the others turned to see the castle doors swinging open, a lone Goomba running in their direction. His brow furrowing in concern, Captain Toad warned “Something’s wrong; Goombas shouldn’t be coming out of the castle. We must have a Goomba infestation on our hands!” Captain Toad curled his fists and assumed a fighting stance, proclaiming “We must take back the castle!”

Makoto nodded solemnly, walking up next to Captain Toad and narrowing his eyes as he mimicked Captain Toad’s fighting stance. Without another word, Kyoko walked next to Makoto, her eyes narrowed as she vowed to protect Makoto from harm in this unexpected battle. Yoshi trotted behind them, his eyes narrowed as he licked his lips, looking forward to the taste of Goomba. Hina and Heiho looked to each other, nodding silently before Hina leapt to Captain Toad’s other side.

Heiho withdrew a spear and ran in front of Hina, declaring “HEI-HO!” as he took a battle stance.

 _Wow…Heiho-kun…you’re such a gentleman!_ Hina gushed privately while the defenseless Hiro shrieked and dove into a bush, deciding to wait where it was safe and watch the battle unfold.

Suddenly, the Goomba stopped in its tracks, making the others blink in confusion as it announced “Presenting…the new King and Queen of the Goombas!”

Makoto and Captain Toad blinked again as they thought _Wait…there’s no Goomba Queen! The Goomboss is single!_

Before they could contemplate the matter further, the castle doors swung open completely, revealing a red Goomba and a blue Goomba. Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, and Hiro’s eyes widened as they saw Byakuya and Toko walking out, holding hands and continuously circled by a third Goomba.

Kyoko leaned over and whispered “Is Byakuya wearing…golden overalls?”

Makoto nodded, whispering “He must have gotten the Golden Flower power-up.”

Kyoko nodded as Hina murmured “Still…why are they…holding hands? I thought Byakuya wouldn’t be caught dead showing an ounce of affection for Toko…”

Hiro finally ran up to them from his hiding spot in the bushes, exclaiming “I knew it! I knew they’d get together! I predicted it before we left Hope’s Peak!”

 _What?! There’s no way Hiro predicted this!_ Hina asked incredulously “Are you sure they weren’t taken over by aliens?”

To her shock, Hiro scoffed “Oh, just because I say it ONE TIME, it becomes like my catchphrase?!”

Though still shocked herself, Kyoko nodded and commented “I hate to say it, but Hiro does have a point; it’s not a complete impossibility that they could have gotten together.” _Stranger things have happened after all…_ Kyoko mused, looking at the Luckster next to her.

Though still flabbergasted himself, Makoto shook away his shock, smiling as he decided “Well, I’m happy for them. Come on, let’s go…”

“Well, other than Kyoko, it seems you’re all shocked by my presence, standing around with your mouths open like fish out of water as I came out. And…Hiro, is that you? I shudder at what misfortune caused you to shrink **that** much.” Byakuya announced haughtily as he looked down at them.

Toko giggled, exclaiming “Yeah, now your body is as big as your b…brain…”

Before Hiro could interject, Makoto looked at the Ultimate Writing Prodigy as he realized “Hey, you got the Hammer Suit, Toko! Let me see, let me see!”

As he eagerly walked up to her, Byakuya moved to stand between them and held up his hand, commanding “Keep a respectable distance from my right-hand woman, you ratty commoner.”

Kyoko’s eyes narrowed, upset now that Byakuya had gone back to insulting Makoto.

As she opened her mouth to speak in his defense, Makoto beamed and exclaimed “Byakuya, you got the Golden Flower power-up! It totally suits you!”

The others sweatdropped at Makoto’s burst of enthusiasm while Byakuya stared at him incredulously before he closed his eyes and chuckled “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, given your cheery disposition.”

“N…no argument there…” Toko nodded as Makoto continued to heap praise on the two like a giddy fanboy.

 _…He never heaped **this** much praise on me when I got my Bunny Ears…_ Kyoko grumbled to herself, slightly jealous that Byakuya and Toko were getting more of Makoto’s attention than she got.

Makoto’s praise-singing trailed off however when, after seeing Byakuya and Toko’s slight annoyance, one of the Goombas walked over to Makoto and asked “Goomboss Togami, want me to have Pinky, Inky, and Clyde to have this pest sleep with the Cheep-Cheeps?”

As three other Goombas hopped on top of each other to form a small tower, Makoto gulped and started to sweat nervously, thinking fearfully as Pinky, Inky, and Clyde approached him _What do I do? It’s totally amazing that Byakuya got an army of Goombas to follow him, but I REALLY don’t wanna lose my Racoon Tail! I haven’t even learned how to fly yet!_

As Makoto took a step backwards and Kyoko and Yoshi tensed in preparation to leap to Makoto’s defense, Byakuya held up his hand and commanded “Blinky, Inky, Pinky, Clyde, stand down immediately. That’s Makoto Naegi, the one I told you about.”

 _He…told the Goombas about me?_ Makoto wondered, confused as Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde nodded in understanding.

Blinky then turned to Makoto and apologized “Please, forgive us for calling you a pest.”

Makoto scratched his cheek and assured them “No, it’s okay, really…” before he cocked his head in confusion and wondered “It’s just…I didn’t expect Goombas to be so…nice…”

As the others nodded in agreement, Captain Toad mused “Something’s fishy…”

“It’s not fi…fishy! They’re nice because we de…defeated the Goomb…boss!”

Makoto’s eyes widened in shock as he thought incredulously _You guys beat the Goomboss?!_

“So, by their own l…law…we’re now the new King and Queen of the Goo…Goombas! And under Master’s le…leadership, the Goombas are ready to be used for more productive means rather than de…destruction!”

Byakuya nodded, confirming “Toko speaks the truth; I have swayed the Goomba tribe under my leadership, and with my talent as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, I will erect a new Togami Empire with Toko at my side!”

Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, and Hiro sweatdropped, then stared at Byakuya and Toko, eyes widened as Byakuya leaned in to quickly peck Toko on the lips.

 _They’re…they’re KISSING?!_ The other four survivors exclaimed, wondering if Byakuya and Toko really were possessed by aliens.

Hina spoke first, asking “Um…how did you guys get so…forward…with each other?”

Byakuya turned to Hina and explained with a smirk “Toko has shown her usefulness to the group and proven that there’s more to her than a quiet writer with a split personality.”

Toko blushed, giggling while Kyoko frowned, envious of their newfound romance as she thought _I can’t believe **those two**_ _have gotten so forward in their relationship…_ She looked at Makoto, who was conversing excitedly with Inky, Pinky, and Clyde as she thought _…meanwhile, I haven’t made much progress with Makoto at all…I can’t even decide whether or not I love him…_ Seeing his shoelaces become loose, she shook away her dilemma for the time being and warned “Makoto, be careful! If you trip, you’ll bump into the Goomba Tower!”

“Huh? Don’t worry, I…WHOA!” Makoto exclaimed, predictably tripping on his shoelaces and falling into the Goomba Tower, bouncing back and landing on his butt as his face just screamed shock and horror. Makoto teared up as he screamed “No! Now my Racoon Power is…huh?” 

Makoto’s eyes dried up, his brow furrowed in confusion as he felt something fuzzy underneath him. He quickly felt around his bottom, feeling down the length of his fuzzy tail. His eyes widened in realization as he felt the top of his head, sighing in relief as his fingers came into contact with his two Tanuki Ears.

As he reached down to tie his shoe, Makoto exclaimed “Hey, I still have my powers! But how? A minion’s touch is supposed to remove a power-up!”

Hina cocked her head in confusion as she asked “What are you talking about? When I hugged Heiho-kun earlier, I didn’t lose my Frog Suit.”

“Hei-ho!” Heiho announced, pounding his fist against his chest in confirmation.

As Makoto stood up, Byakuya nodded “It’s the same for me as well. I touched every Goomba recruit in order to test their durability and usefulness as bodyguards.”

Turning to the others, Makoto’s brow furrowed in confusion as he pondered “But how? That never happened in the games before!”

It was Captain Toad who answered, revealing as Makoto rejoined them “It’s because they switched sides! You see, when a minion changes allegiance and becomes good, they lose the ability to take away powers!”

 _I…I never knew about that…_ Makoto crossed his arms and realized _None of the others knew that…and yet…they still accomplished their missions! Byakuya and Toko earned the loyalty of the Goombas and got cool powers. Hina got to befriend a Shyguy and see underneath his mask! Even Hiro got to send Wart and Mouser blasting off like Team Rocket!_

_Not to mention Kyoko…she got to master her Bunny Powers instantaneously, and she came up with a winning strategy for taking down Lakitu when Yoshi and I were at the end of our ropes! And she roundhouse kicked that giant Chain Chomp! Me though…I can’t even fly! The only one who knows this world and I can’t even use my own powers! I’m so…so useless!_

Makoto shut his eyes in frustration, tears streaming down his cheeks as he thought _Maybe everyone would be better off if I just…just disappeared…then I wouldn’t hold them all back!_

Makoto stormed off, unaware of the fact that his volatile emotions were causing his tail to swing wildly, causing Kyoko to exclaim “Ow!” as it hit her leg on his way out. “What was…Makoto?” Kyoko gasped, catching a single glance of the tears streaming down his face as he stormed off, the Ultimate Detective muttering “Makoto…”

“Um…is Makoto okay? Did we…did we say something?” Hina wondered, confused as they watched Makoto disappear into the distance.

“Yoshi…”

“Hei-ho…”

Yoshi and Heiho closed their eyes in contemplation, while Hiro mused “I don’t know, but something must be bugging the guy…for serious…”

“Wh…whatever…I hate dramatics like this…”

“Toko! That’s totally thoughtless of you!” Hina scolded, scowling at the new Goomba Queen.

“No, Toko’s right. Whatever caused Makoto to storm off, it’s caused an unnecessary delay in our return home.”

Kyoko tuned to glare at Byakuya and scolded “It seems you’ve forgotten what I told you after Celeste’s death. When you dismiss other people’s feelings, it always comes back to bite you in the end.” Sighing, she turned to the direction Makoto stormed off in and decided “I’m gonna go and see what’s bothering him.”

Without another word, she walked off, worry in her eyes as the others watched her disappear in the horizon, secretly hoping that she could find Makoto and cheer him up so they could go home.

XXX

Makoto grunted, grabbing a nearby pebble off the sand of the beach he was sitting on and throwing it into the pond in front of him, watching as it skipped across the water before it sank to the bottom. Makoto sighed, his Tanuki Ears drooping and his tail slack behind him as he wallowed in his depression.

“Makoto…are you okay?”

 _Oh…Kyoko…_ Makoto thought as he recognized her voice.

Kyoko bit her lip, unsure of what else to say and not wanting to invade his personal space too much if he just wanted to be alone. Makoto sighed as he patted the spot next to him, allowing Kyoko to walk over and sit next to him. An awkward silence passed, making Kyoko’s expression turn downcast.

_Why…won’t he talk to me? He’s not usually so silent…Makoto…please…open up to me…like you helped me to do…_

“…Why can’t I fly?” Kyoko furrowed her brow in confusion, though she was somewhat relieved that Makoto was finally talking as he clarified “You guys never even played these games before, but you and Byakuya and Toko and Hina and even Hiro were able to master your new powers right out the gate! You were amazing, your Bunny Ears flapping as you hovered over me! You were fluttering so high I could see your black…” Makoto blushed and clammed up, kicking himself _Great job, Naegi! That was supposed be a secret! Now Kyoko’s gonna think you’re a pervert and be mad at you again!_

 _…I see…so he DID see them after all…_ Kyoko thought, blushing as she saw Makoto’s eyes clamped as shut as his mouth, trembling fearfully.

She rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, causing him to open his eyes and turn to her, murmuring “…You’re not…mad?”

 _No, I wanted you to pay attention to my panties…_ Kyoko thought, though kept that thought to herself as she lied “That doesn’t matter anymore. Let’s just move on…”

Makoto flashed her a look of grateful, yet sad admiration as he told her “Okay…so as I was saying, the way you guys took charge and mastered your new powers…you guys really are Ultimates.”

Kyoko frowned; normally a compliment from Makoto would leave her touched, if not a little embarrassed, but she felt that Makoto wasn’t going to stop with a simple compliment.

She was right, as Makoto drew up his knees and wrapped his arms around his legs, moaning “But I grew up with these games; I’ve been playing them for as long as I can remember…” Kyoko smiled as she tried to imagine a baby Makoto in a onesie holding a game controller while sucking on a binky, only for her daydream to vanish as Makoto continued “…but I couldn’t even figure out how to fly! I’m not like you guys; I’m no Ultimate! I’m just a completely average boy!”

Kyoko put her hand on his shoulder and refuted “That’s not true, and you know it. You need to stop berating yourself; you’re not a Reserve Course Student! You got into the Main Course fair and square, just like the rest of us!”

“By luck! That was my title, Ultimate Lucky Student! I got my name practically drawn out of a hat! I’m a tame housecat who wandered into a pride of lions! Byakuya and Toko defeated the Goomboss and won the loyalty of the Goombas. Hina befriended a Shyguy and got to see his face, something I’ve only dreamed about since I was a kid! Hell, even Hiro was able to defeat Wart and Mouser, at SEVEN INCHES TALL!”

Kyoko frowned, starting to understand where his rant was going.

“And then you…even with Yoshi, I couldn’t beat that Lakitu and get the Magenti-Star Piece! In the end, you came up with that plan to catch Lakitu off guard with those Bob-ombs! Not to mention how you roundhouse kicked that Chain Chomp to finish it off! You won us that Magenti-Star Piece single-handed! But what did I do? I didn’t help out at all! I was totally useless!” Makoto sighed, glancing back to the cannon as he laid his head against his knees and grumbled “…Maybe I should just blast myself out of that cannon so I won’t be dragging you down.”

Kyoko bit her lip as Makoto started to cry, tears trickling down his cheeks and soaking the sand beneath them.

 _I see…we ended up emasculating him by adapting to this world so easily…_ She realized as her eyes swirled with guilt, feeling her heart break at his depressed state. _How do I show him that he’s not useless, that he’s an Ultimate just like the rest of us? Damn, I’m a Detective, but I can’t find a single clue to solve this mystery!_

She looked at Makoto, still crying into his knees, then sighed as she came to a decision.

_I can’t rely on my Detective skills…I have to just throw caution to the wind and tell Makoto how I feel, deep down…alright, here goes…_

“No, that’s wrong!”

“Huh?” Makoto asked as he stopped crying, looking up to see that Kyoko had crawled around so that she was in front of him.

Makoto stared into her eyes for a split second before she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, leaning back so she could pull him into her lap before she rested her head on his shoulder. Makoto blushed, then started to purr as Kyoko sneakily moved one of her hands down his back so she could pet his tail, her gloved fingers stroking his fur.

“K…Kyooookooo…no faiiirrr! You **know** it feels good when you touch my tail!”

Kyoko smirked and replied “Good, then you’ll be more receptive to my counterargument.” Without waiting for another word from the depressed Luckster, Kyoko soothed “Makoto, you might not believe it, but you’re just as much an Ultimate as the rest of us. You belong with us…and if you don’t believe me, you can believe my Father.”

_The…the Headmaster? Kyoko’s…Dad?_

“While I was investigating before the final Class Trial, I looked through your Student Profile, and apparently he had written some notes in it. Apparently the Steering Committee wanted to abolish the Ultimate Lucky Student position; they felt that Luck was a waste of research. But my Father…he pushed back. He believed that Luck was a talent worthy of Hope’s Peak’s time and money, and as a result the Steering Committee relented. I don’t have many happy memories of Jin Kirigiri, but he saw you as an Ultimate and fought so you could stay, and I’ll always respect him for that.”

_Kyoko’s Dad…considered me an Ultimate too? So I…I didn’t just get in by luck? I…I earned it?!_

“And even if that wasn’t the case, that still wouldn’t make you average, Makoto. You’re the most positive, down to earth guy I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. If it wasn’t for you and your infectious hope, Junko would have won and none of us would be alive to experience all the adventures you led us on in this Mushroom Kingdom.”

 _I…I’m really that special?!_ Makoto wondered incredulously, struck speechless as Kyoko continued her pep talk.

“And I have a confession to make…” Kyoko blushed as she admitted “The reason I called you the Ultimate Hope when you defeated Junko…is that…to me…you’re MY hope. You gave me so much hope, Makoto…”

Kyoko hugged him closer with the arm wrapped around his back, making Makoto smile as he felt hope and self-worth flood his heart. He wrapped one arm around Kyoko, then reached with his free hand to grab her own that was petting his tail. Their fingers interwoven, they squeezed each other’s hand, Kyoko trying to comfort Makoto further as she made her closing argument.

“We may have adapted to this Mushroom Kingdom, but only because you were there to serve as our guide. Without you, we would have been completely lost! Byakuya and Toko may have a Goomba Army, and Hina may have gotten to live your childhood dream of seeing a Shyguy’s face, but you got to do great things too! You got to ride your favorite dinosaur with me, and you took me on an amazing adventure that I’ll never forget for as long as I live!”

“R…really? I…did all that?”

Kyoko nodded “Yes, you did…” _And if you play your cards right, you’ll even get a Princess of your own…because I love you, Makoto Naegi! You adorable little Racoon!_

Makoto beamed, leaning back so he could look her in the eye as he apologized “Sorry, Kyoko…I acted like a child earlier. But you’re right…” He scooted off her lap before standing up, pulling her with him as he decided “…you’re right, Kyoko. This was an amazing adventure way better than any video game…because I got to spend it with you…and I’ll never forget it!”

“ **We’ll** never forget it.” Kyoko corrected, squeezing his hand again as they smiled at each other, subconsciously leaning closer to each other, closing their eyes as they felt each other’s breath on their lips again.

_I’m doing it! I’m about to kiss Makoto!_

_Kyoko…I think…I think I love you…I want to…to kiss you…_

“Yo, are you guys done talking yet?”

Kyoko and Makoto blushed and groaned at the sound of Hiro’s voice, thinking _Not again! That was SO CLOSE!_

Their romantic moment interrupted, Kyoko and Makoto broke apart before the annoyed Detective shot the Ultimate Clairvoyant her Kirigiri glare, making Hiro yelp and run for the hills.

“I’ll tell the others you guys are better now!”

The two lovers sweatdropped before Makoto chuckled nervously “…Maybe we should get back to the others…”

Kyoko nodded, coughing into her fist before turning to Makoto, blushes still on their cheeks as she replied with a hint of irritation leaking into her voice “Agreed…so, shall we go?”

Makoto nodded, then grabbed Kyoko’s hand again, causing the two to blush as they wove their fingers together. Kyoko smiled at him before they leisurely walked back up to the Castle.

_I love you, Kyoko…_

_I love you, Makoto…_

XXX

“Well, you sure took your sweet time. Don’t you dullards realize that we have more pressing matters that need taking care of?”

As Kyoko opened her mouth to speak, Toko suddenly zipped in front of her, startling Makoto and causing him to fall on his bottom again. Kyoko blinked, surprised by Toko’s uncharacteristically fast speed as the Ultimate Writing Prodigy narrowed her eyes and glared at the Bunny Detective.

“Whatever you have to say, you better not insult Master in front of me. I won’t tolerate any more disrespect, is that clear?”

 _Is that…is that really Toko?!_ Makoto wondered incredulously as he stared at the much more forceful Writing Prodigy, then to Kyoko, who put on her standard emotionless mask as she returned Toko’s glare.

“It would seem you found a backbone on your quest.”

Toko narrowed her eyes and replied “I found a lot more than a backbone, you Bunny Bimbo!”

Toko enclosed her fist, making a hammer materialize out of thin air, causing the Goombas to smile proudly while Byakuya raised an eyebrow, curious as to how his intellectual rival would answer Toko’s newfound show of bravado.

“Hei-ho!” Heiho shrieked fearfully as he and Hina hugged each other, the Shyguy blushing from being pressed against Hina’s breasts.

Hiro meanwhile got on his knees and muttered a prayer out of fear as Captain Toad watched the new development, feeling the tension in the air while Yoshi cuddled nervously next to Makoto and whimpered “Yoshi…” as Makoto wrapped his arms protectively around the adorable little dinosaur.

Kyoko and Toko continued to stare at each other, unmoved from their initial standoff until Kyoko finally warned “If this is your attempt at intimidating me, you should know that I’ve faced much scarier than you!”

“Like I care about that…just know that you’re not going to be the Alpha Female of our little group for much longer!”

“Oh, is that right?” Kyoko asked, staring down Toko for a minute until she smirked and answered “Challenge accepted, Fukawa.”

Toko smirked back and replied “May the best woman win, Kirigiri.” before they turned around and crossed their arms over their breasts, closing their eyes.

Everyone sighed in relief, relaxing now that a major catfight had been averted. They tensed up again however as the two girls turned their heads to give the other a challenging glare, the others feeling the electric sparks that flew from the focal point where their glares collided.

The Goomba Tower walked over to Hiro before Clyde mumbled from the bottom “Women, am I right?”

Hiro sighed and nodded “Yeah, that’s the truth, for serious…”

*Cough cough*

Kyoko and Toko broke off their lightning glare as they turned to Captain Toad who asked “Um…I hate to interrupt, but can I have the other two pieces of the Magenti-Star so we can…oh, I don’t know…put it back together?!”

Kyoko and Toko blushed, embarrassed that they let themselves get carried away with their newfound rivalry. With a sigh, Toko took her piece of the Magenti-Star from within her shell and walked over to Captain Toad, handing it to him before she strutted back to Byakuya’s side and grasping his hand. Kyoko meanwhile walked over to Makoto who was still sitting on the ground as she took him by the hand and pulled him to his feet.

As Makoto dusted off his pants and tail with his free hand, Kyoko and Toko glared at each other one last time, silently declaring _This isn’t over!_

Makoto and Byakuya sweatdropped at their respective love interest’s intense rivalry while Hina sighed and thought _I’m glad I’m not part of this alpha female rivalry…_

“Um, Hina…your Magenti-Star Piece, please?”

“O…oh!” Hina bonked her fist atop her head lightly, then rubbed the back of her head bashfully as she apologized “Sorry…”

Putting Heiho down, she took out the Magenti-Star Piece as Hiro laughed “Wow, Hina, you can be such a spaz, for serious!”

A vein pulsed with blood in Heiho’s forehead as he raised his fist and ran up to the Ultimate Clairvoyant, exclaiming angrily “Hei-HO!”

Hiro yelped, turning around to run behind Inky, Pinky, and Clyde, who merely shivered in fear as Heiho glared at Hiro through them from behind his mask, shouting “Hei-HO! Hei-HO!”

Ignoring their little feud, Hina handed Captain Toad the final Magenti-Star Piece. Suddenly, all three pieces started to fly in a circle above Captain Toad, a blinding light demitting from the vortex between them, causing the others to stop what they were doing and turn to watch the Magenti-Star’s reformation. As the shining light got bigger and brighter, everyone shielded their eyes with their forearms, grunting until the blinding light died down.

When they gingerly lowered their arms, their eyes widened as a completed Magenti-Star floated in Captain Toad’s hands, the Mushroom Retainer beaming as he announced “At last…the Magenti-Star is complete, thanks to the six of you and your new friends.” Captain Toad frowned as he admitted “But it will take time for the Magenti-Star to regain its full power.

“I see…and how long will that take?” Byakuya questioned.

Suddenly approached by a squadron of Goombas, Captain Toad started to sweat as he admitted “I…I don’t know exactly! We’ve never had to reassemble a Power Star before, let alone one as unique as the Magenti-Star!”

“Great…” Toko grumbled “We still have to stick around h…here…”

As the others nodded, Captain Toad clapped his hands and announced “In the meantime, I’ll prepare some celebratory rice balls for you all in the Castle! Promise!”

The six survivors all looked to each other and shrugged before Byakuya nodded “That should be acceptable. Goombas, stand down.”

With that, the Goombas retreated, making Captain Toad sigh in relief before he turned towards the castle and exclaimed “Alright, follow me!”

XXX

“Mmm…SO GOOD!” Makoto moaned as he ate his mushroom onigiri, making Kyoko smile with amusement at her beloved as she ate her onigiri at a much more controlled pace.

The six of them were eating at a table in the Castle Dining Hall, Makoto, Kyoko, Yoshi, Heiho, and Hina sitting on one side, while Byakuya and Toko sat on the other. Hiro meanwhile had to sit on the table itself due to his miniature size, being given one small onigiri that he was in the process of whittling down.

As the others nodded in agreement with Makoto, Byakuya mused after swallowing his bite of rice “Not bad, I’ll admit. Of course, cuisine this common is nothing compared to the lavish feasts served at any of the Togami Castles. Once I rebuld the Togami Empire and rule this world, I’ll show you all exactly what I mean.”

Byakuya smirked, leaving everyone except Toko to sweatdrop before Makoto brought up “Uh, Byakuya…the Mushroom Kingdom already has a Princess. You can’t rebuild your empire here, and you can’t take over her castle.”

“He…he could too!” Toko objected, standing up and exclaiming “That Princess P…Peach is nothing before Ma…Master! He even got a crown that’s much prettier than…EEP!”

Toko clammed up after Byakuya glared at her, thugh not soon enough, as Makoto’s eyes widened in realization.

 _Wait a minute…crown…Crown…could it be…_ “Byakuya…before you got the Golden Flower…did you get the Super Crown?” The vein that pulsed in Byakuya’s forehead, along with the blush that darkened his cheeks was all the evidence that Makoto needed, making him snicker as he exclaimed “You did, didn’t you! You got the Super Crown!”

As Makoto tried to get his snickering under control, Kyoko’s brow furrowed as she asked “…I’m confused…what’s so funny about this…Super Crown?”

Byakuya shot Makoto a glare that screamed _Tell them and there’ll be a body discovery announcement waiting for you, Naegi!_

His silent threat went ignored however as Makoto explained “It’s a character-specific power-up that allows Toadette to become Peachette. But since Byakuya’s a guy, I think it…”

Makoto fell victim to a giggle fit again, leaving Kyoko, Hina, and Hiro to ponder what he was trying to say until the Ultimate Swimming Pro’s eyes widened, exclaiming “Holy crap! Are you saying…that Super Crown turned Byakuya into a girl?!”

Seeing Makoto nod, the entire table except for Byakuya and Toko burst into laughter. Even the normally stoic Kyoko couldn’t help but laugh at his expense.

“Sh…shut up!” Toko exclaimed “Stop laughing at Ma…Master…”

As Toko’s demands went ignored, Byakuya sighed with annoyance and muttered “Let’s just finish eating so we can go home and forget this little adventure ever happened…”

XXX

The survivors now stood outside the castle, surrounded by their new friends and Captain Toad who held the Magenti-Star and commented “Well, I guess this is goodbye…”

Byakuya turned to Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde, who stared at their new leader with sad frowns as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny admitted “I can’t believe I’m about to say this…but I think I might actually miss you. Good help is so hard to come by.”

Tears welled in Hina’s eyes as she hugged Heiho and cried “Oh, I’m gonna miss you, Heiho-kun!”

“Hei-hooooo…” Heiho whimpered, saddened that his first real friend had to leave.

Kyoko watched with softened eyes as Makoto and Yoshi hugged, his Tanuki Ears drooping as he murmured “Well, goodbye, Yoshi. I’m really going to miss you…”

“Yoshiiii…”

Makoto petted Yoshi’s snout as he replied “I know, I know boy, I really want to take you…with…me…” Makoto’s eyes widened in realization, his lips stretching into a beaming grin as he released Yoshi and turned to the others, exclaiming “Hey, I’ve got an idea everyone! Why don’t we take Yoshi, Heiho-kun, and the Goombas with us?!”

Kyoko sweatdropped and facepalmed, thinking _This is bad; with how attached everyone’s become, Makoto’s natural charisma may end up endearing them to the idea._ She shook her head and denied “Makoto, I really don’t think that’s a good idea. It wouldn’t be right to take them from their world.”

Makoto turned to face her, giving her a puppy-eyed stare as he begged “Aw, come on, Kyoko! I’m sure they…huh?”

Makoto’s Tanuki Ears twitched, making him turn around as Kyoko’s brow furrowed before she asked “…Makoto? Are you…?”

“…I heard something…”

*Whirl*

A gust of wind suddenly struck the fields, forcing Makoto, Kyoko, Byakuya, and Toko to brace themselves. Meanwhile Hina quickly snatched Hiro in one hand and wrapped an arm around Heiho to protect them from being blown away.

“It’s some kind of windstorm!” Kyoko declared.

Makoto shook his head, refuting “No, that’s wrong! It was a totally sunny day, and there are no clouds in the sky!” Makoto turned to Captain Toad, who was quaking in his boots as he cradled the Magenti-Star protectively against his chest and asked “Captain Toad, do you know what’s going on?”

Captain Toad shook his head and denied “No, I don’t know why we’re getting hit with this sudden wind…unless…”

“GWA HA HA HA!”

Captain Toad went completely pale, blanching as he breathed “Oh no… **he’s** here!”

Captain Toad looked up, leading everyone else to look up at the sky as they saw a white bowl-type vehicle with a green rim lining the top, a green helicopter blade spinning from the bottom, large black eyes painted on the front, and a large orange smile painted below the eyes.

“GWA HA HA HA!” A giant yellow scaled turtle roared as it stood up in the strange vehicle.

Makoto and Captain Toad’s eyes widened in shock as they took in its green spiked shell, pale jaw, horns, and underbelly, black spiked bracelets, green scaled head, yellow tail, and flaming red mane, breathing “Daimao Kuppa!”

Kyoko turned to Makoto and asked “What was that, Makoto? Who is this creature?”

“…King Bowser Koopa, the King of the Koopa Tribe! He’s the final boss of almost every main Mario game, and that Clown Copter is his main mode of transportation!” _I don’t know whether to feel shocked, horrified, or excited!_

Hina exclaimed “Wait, hold the phone! You mean the same Bowser who Mario fights? The one you told us about when we first got here?”

Makoto nodded before Bowser cackled “HA HA HA! FINALLY, THE MAGENTI-STAR IS COMPLETE! THANK YOU ALL FOR COMPLETING IT FOR ME!”

Makoto reigned in his excitement and narrowed his eyes, the others following suit as they took up defensive positions, except for Hiro who merely shivered in Hina’s hand. Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde immediately formed a defensive row in front of Byakuya and Toko, while Heiho stood protectively in front of Hina, brandishing his spear.

“HEI-HO!”

Unimpressed, Bowser merely cackled “GWA HA HA! How adorable, a ragtag Goomba quartet and a lone Shy Guy think they stand a chance against ME?! Alright, you’ve had your fun, now I will confiscate the Magenti-Star so I can put my master plan into motion!”

Byakuya scoffed, forming a fireball in his hand as he proclaimed “No giant reptile is going to cash in on our hard work, or my name isn’t Byakuya Togami!”

As Toko beamed at her lover, Byakuya threw his fireball, only for his eyes to widen in shock as Bowser merely moved his copter out of the way, laughing “Please, you call that a fireball? THIS is a fireball!”

Bowser roared, red light forming in his mouth before he spat in Byakuya’s direction, a giant flaming meteor heading straight for the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, who was frozen in place as his eyes widened in shock.

“Th…this is…”

“Master, get down!”

“AGH!” Byakuya cried as Toko pulled him down, causing the fireball to just miss his head as it collided with the ground, leaving a flaming crater where the grass used to be.

“…How humiliating…” Byakuya grimaced as he nodded at Toko thankfully, the two of them getting up before he called out “Makoto, what’s his weakness?”

“I…I don’t know! It changes from game to game!” Makoto shouted frantically, making Byakuya facepalm before they all stared fearfully at Bowser flying above them in the Clown Copter.

“GWA HA HA HA! You pipsqueaks can’t beat me without Mario around! I can beat you all without even having to touch you!”

*SLAM*

“AGH!” Everyone screamed as Bowser bounced his Clown Copter against the ground, sending everyone flying in various directions.

“No, the Magenti-Star!” Captain Toad yelled in a panic as it flew out of his grasp.

“GWA HA HA HA! At last, the Magenti-Star is mine!” Bowser cackled as he steered his Clown Copter in its direction, extending his claw out to grab it. “Yes! At last, the Magenti-Sta…HUH?!”

Bowser gaped, dumbfounded at the fact that the Magenti-Star had disappeared, scanning the grounds as he said frantically “WHERE IS IT WHERE IS IT…YOU?!”

Makoto grinned as he pointed out “Hey, it’s Kyoko! She got the Magenti-Star!”

Sure enough, Kyoko was gliding across the field, holding the Magenti-Star under her arm as her Bunny Ears flapped, keeping her airborne.

She smirked at the Koopa King, causing a vein to pulse in his forehead as he roared “ALRIGHT YOU WENCH! GIVE ME THE MAGENTI-STAR!”

The two engaged in a rather humorous chase, Kyoko smirking as she continued to float just out of Bowser’s reach while the oversized turtle kept trying to swipe at the Bunny Detective with his claws.

As the others stood up, Makoto stared at Kyoko with admiration, beaming as his tail wagged and he praised “Wow, Kyoko’s amazing! She’s managing to tango with Bowser all by herself!”

Kyoko blushed at Makoto’s praise while Hina grinned and cheered “Heck yeah! Go Kyoko! You’ve got this!”

Byakuya coughed to get their attention before he pointed out “I hate to burst your bubbles, but just because she’s keeping pace doesn’t mean she’s winning.”

Toko nodded, biting her fingernails as she agreed “Y…yeah…after all, with that Clown Copter, that B…Bowser will catch her e…even…”

“AGH!”

“OH NOOOOOOOO! SHE GOT CAPTURED!” Hiro exclaimed holding his head in fear.

All their eyes widened as they saw Bowser pull Kyoko by the waist, causing the Ultimate Detective to struggle and gasp “…Let go of me, you oversized turt…what…what’s happening?!”

“Oh no…her Bunny Powers! She got hit, so she’s losing her Bunny Powers!”

True to Makoto’s word, Kyoko felt a draining sensation as she looked up and saw her Bunny Ears start to become more translucent until they disappeared entirely, leaving her completely normal.

Makoto started to panic as he yelled “Hang on, Kyoko! We’ll get you out of this, we promise!”

Still squeezed in Bowser’s claw, she gasped “Well hurry up then, Makoto, before this thing squeezes the air out of my lungs!”

Turning to Makoto, Byakuya asked “Well, Makoto? Any ideas as to how we should separate Kirigiri from Bowser’s claw?”

“Just…JUST LET ME THINK!” Makoto shouted, closing his eyes as he thought frantically _We need to get closer…if only we had something we could ride…wait…RIDE…NOW I UNDERSTAND!_

Makoto turned to the others and asked “Byakuya, Toko, we’re going to need to use your power-ups to launch an offensive attack. Are you guys up to it?”

Byakuya smirked and nodded “As long as you have a strategy in mind, a Togami is always ready.”

Toko bit her lip and stammered “B…but, last time, he just dodged Ma…Master’s fire…how are gonna get cl…close enough?”

Makoto turned to Hina and asked “Hina, can you give Toko a piggyback ride?”

Her eyes widening in realization, Hina grinned and saluted “You got it!”

Makoto smiled, then turned to Yoshi and asked “Hey boy, you mind letting Byakuya ride you in this battle?”

“YOSHI!” Yoshi exclaimed, nodding resolutely before Byakuya walked over and got on Yoshi’s saddle.

Meanwhile, Hina crouched, allowing Toko to climb awkwardly on her back. Once she was secure, Hina stood up, waiting with Yoshi for Makoto’s command.

“Alright everybody, listen up! Hina, Yoshi, we need you to be able to jump up and to the side of Bowser’s Clown Copter so he can’t dodge. Byakuya, Toko, once you’re close enough, combine your powers and pelt him with everything you’ve got!”

Byakuya smirked as he boasted “Just leave it to us; we’ve got just the attack in mind to take down this oversized turtle.”

Flashing back to their combo attack that vanquished the Goomboss, Toko nodded “On your command, Master!”

Makoto nodded and pointed straight at the Clown Copter, screaming “Alright everyone, CHARGE!!!”

Hina and Yoshi started dashing while Toko and Byakuya charged up their hammer and fireball respectively, making Kyoko give a pained, yet proud smile at how Makoto took charge of the battle.

_My hero…_

As they got closer, Byakuya raised an eyebrow and laughed “GWA HA HA HA! I have to admit, you pipsqueaks are cleverer than I thought, but too bad I have just the countermeasure for a team attack like this!”

Kyoko frowned worriedly as he pressed a big red button on his copter, causing several hidden vents to open as a purple mist leaked out, covering the ground in a haze and causing Makoto’s eyes to widen, the Racoon Luckster yelling “EVERYONE! COVER YOUR MOUTHS AND NOSES BEFORE…”

Makoto’s warning came too late as the cloud reached the group, causing them to cough before they started to feel hazy.

“What…what is this stuff…? I can’t think straight, for ser…iouuusss…” Hiro trailed off as his eyes shut, falling to the ground as he lost consciousness.

Hiro was soon joined by Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde, who yawned in unison before falling asleep, causing their tower to topple.

*Yawn* “I’m feeling…sleepy…” Hina moaned as she took a nosedive, causing Toko to fall off of her before Heiho ran over to his sleepy friend.

“Heiiiii…hoooooooo…” Heiho moaned before falling asleep.

“Heiho-kun…we need to…stay…awaaaakkkeee…” Hina yawned before she collapsed, falling asleep next to him.

”Yooooo…shiiiiiii…” Yoshi yawned, his eyes closing as he tumbled to the ground, throwing Byakuya off of him as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny rolled next to Toko.

Makoto’s knees buckled as he felt his strength left him, the Racoon Luckster yawning as he tried his hardest to stay awake. He looked around to see Captain Toad’s eyes drooping, the Mushroom Retainer trying to reach into his backpack before he collapsed under its weight, falling asleep like the others.

Like Makoto, Byakuya struggled against the desire to sleep, mumbling drowsily as his knees buckled “I…I am a Togami…I will not be beaten by something as underhanded as…sleeping gas…”

For all his efforts, Byakuya fell victim to it just as easily as the others, his eyes closing as he blacked out, faceplanting on the ground as Toko followed suit, her face landing on his shoulder as she yawned cutely before falling asleep.

Feeling even more woozy, Makoto tried to stand up, repeating to himself _I…I have to…get up…Kyoko…Kyoko needs me…_

Despite all his mental fortitude, Makoto found it was taking all his energy to stay awake, never mind standing up or fighting back.

 _Makoto…_ Kyoko worried as she looked at her still-conscious friend.

“Gwa ha ha ha!” Bowser gloated “You see, wench? All your friends have already lost to me! Now, give me the Magenti-Star and I’ll let you go!”

Kyoko glared at him, clutching the Magenti-Star tighter against her frame as she spat “I’d rather eat coriander you underhanded reptile!”

“Gwa ha ha ha! Oh, you’ve got some fire, do you? Well, I know how to cool you down!”

“AGH!” Kyoko screeched as Bowser dangled her just outside of the Clown Copter, her face angled towards the ground and forcing her into the sleeping gas cloud. _No…not the…gas…it’s…making me all…woozy…_

“Ky…ooo…kooo…” Makoto weakly called out as he saw Kyoko’s eyelids start to droop.

Kyoko shook her head, opening her eyes until they were three quarters open as she stubbornly refused “No…I won’t fall asleep…and I won’t…give you the Magenti-Star!”

Bowser raised an eyebrow, impressed as he noted “Well, a wench other than Princess Peach who actually has the resolve to struggle against me even when doused with sleeping gas? I must say, I haven’t come across a girl with as much spitfire as you in quite some time; it’s actually refreshing!”

Bowser tapped his chin with his free claw, apparently deep in contemplation before he snapped his fingers.

“You know what? I’m tired of getting rejected by Peach and getting my shell kicked by Mario again and again. A change is in order, and you seem like a fine bride for the King of the Koopas.”

Kyoko meanwhile found her resistance slipping and slipping, causing her eyes to droop and her vision to become hazy. The last thing she saw clearly was Makoto bravely trying to fight off the effects of Bowser’s sleeping gas.

She smiled proudly as she uttered “I’m…sorry…” _I wasn’t strong enough…_

With one final yawn, Kyoko lost consciousness, her vision becoming black as Bowser pulled her back into the Clown Copter. He relaxed his grip on her, allowing her slackened grip to drop the Magenti-Star into his waiting claw.

“GWA HA HA HA! THIS WAS **SO** EASY! ALMOST LIKE TAKING CANDY FROM A BABY! AND TO TOP IT OFF, I GOT A NEW BRIDE TOO!” Bowser cackled as he looked from the Magenti-Star to Kyoko’s sleeping form.

 _No…Kyoko…_ Mustering up all his energy formed from his anger at the Koopa King, Makoto roared “YOU WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS!”

Bowser laughed, amused as he challenged “OH YEAH, HOW’S A KID LIKE YOU GONNA STOP ME? YOU’RE NO MARIO!”

Makoto outstretched his hand as Bowser turned the Clown Copter around and zoomed off in the distance, the Magenti-Star and Kyoko in his claws.

“No…Kyoko…KYOKO!!!” Makoto screamed in despair before the sleeping gas finally overwhelmed him, causing him to black out as he slumped against the ground, mumbling worriedly in his sleep.

“Kyoko…I…I love you, Kyoko…Kyoko…come back, please Kyoko!”


	6. Chapter Five: Makoto Awakens!  Class 78th Strikes Back!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kyoko's abduction by Bowser, Makoto wakes up from a nightmare and joins the others to regroup. Frustrated by Byakuya's insistence that they prioritize recovering the Magenti-Star over Kyoko, Makoto decides to storm Bowser's Castle and rescue Kyoko himself. Will Makoto finally learn how to fly so he can get there? And what's waiting for him at Bowser's Castle?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's Chapter Five of Super Danganronpa Bros! This chapter ended up being so long that I had to split it in two, so expect a new chapter tomorrow as well! Please read and comment below, and enjoy!

*WHOOSH*

Makoto dived out of the way as a blazing fireball just barely missed him, the Racoon Lucky Student feeling the heat threaten to burn his face as it zoomed off into the distance. Makoto skid to a halt on the black and purple octagonal stage as Bowser roared, leaving Makoto shaking in fear and excitement. Bowser continued to launch a barrage of fireballs, Makoto gradually starting to smile as he dodged each one with greater and greater ease.

_Thank goodness I spent all those years playing Mario games. It took me a little bit to adjust to dodging his attacks for real, but I have Bowser’s attack patterns memorized!_

Snorting, Bowser cackled “GWA HA HA! You can’t dodge me forever, Racoon Boy! It’s only a matter of time until I burn you to a crisp, then there will be nobody to rescue your beloved Princess!”

Makoto looked to the side, frowning as he glanced at Kyoko’s still form, frozen in a translucent, blue crystal that kept her in a comatose state, her face frozen in shock. 

“Kyoko…”

Makoto’s left fist clenched in anger, his green eyes blazing with fury as he pointed his right hand at Bowser.

“I promise…no matter what the cost…even if it kills me…” Makoto roared “I WILL SAVE KYOKO!”

With a determined roar, Makoto burst into action, dashing at Bowser with courage and love in his eyes.

“BWA HA HA! I have to admit, seeing you attempt to take me on like this is quite amusing. However, I’m afraid it all has to end now! You’ll never beat me…WHAT?!”

Makoto smirked as he ran round and round in a circle, Bowser unable to keep track of where he was due to Makoto running so fast.

“What the…hold still Racoon Boy! You’re making me di…dizzy…”

 _Yes, I’ve got him on the ropes! Just a little longer and…_ “WHOA!” Makoto exclaimed as he tripped over his shoelaces, tumbling and landing on his knees. “Oww…stupid bad luck…” Makoto groaned, thinking _Gotta…get up…Kyoko needs you, Makoto! So…get up!_ Makoto struggled to try and stand, only for a burst of intense pain to shot up his right leg, forcing him back to the ground as he groaned “No…my leg…it’s…”

“GWA HA HA! Some plan, Racoon Boy! You’ve just made it easier for me to roast you!”

 _This is NOT good…at this rate, I won’t be able to move and I’ll be roasted!_ Makoto fretted as Bowser charged up another fireball, rays of yellow and red shining from his jaws. _And worse, I won’t be able to save Kyoko!_ He looked to Kyoko’s crystallized form, shaking his head as he resolved _No, there must be something I can do! I won’t let my busted leg cost Kyoko her freedom! But what?! Oh what I wouldn’t give for a shooting star…wait…S.T.A.R. Now I understand! Alright, it’s time to break out my secret weapon!_

Makoto reached into his hoodie and pulled out a yellow Super Star, smiling as the flames from Bowser’s jaws started to dissipate.

Terrified, Bowser stepped backwards, waving his hands in surrender as he exclaimed “NO! NOT THAT!”

Makoto smirked as the Super Star vanished in a puff of smoke, enveloping Makoto in a bright yellow aura as he went Super Saiyan, his hair standing up in every conceivable direction as it turned as yellow as his aura. Feeling a surge of strength revitalize him, Makoto bounced back up, using his tail as a springboard to get to his feet.

_Yes, I feel better than ever! Thank you, Captain Toad!_

Without another word, Makoto dashed over to Bowser, whose whimpering proved fruitless as Makoto assaulted him with a barrage of punches and kicks, covering the Koopa King in bruises from head to toe. With one final kick to his soft underbelly, Bowser was sent flying across the stage, groaning and closing his eyes as he landed on his shell.

Tears of joy trickled down his cheeks as Makoto burst into victorious laughter, exclaiming “I DID IT! I DEFEATED BOWSER! NOW I CAN…ow…” Makoto groaned, feeling the Super Star’s power leave him as his yellow aura dissipated, his hair falling back into its usual shape as it faded back to its usual brown. “Guess the Super Star’s power is fading…couldn’t it have at least healed my leg?” Makoto sighed “Well, at least there’s no more danger. All I have to do is get back on my feet and get Kyoko out of here. Maybe Princess Peach can use some magic spell to…free…her…”

Makoto trailed off, his eyes widening in shock as Bowser’s disembodied head bounced in front of him, making him scream.

“UWAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Hyperventilating, Makoto struggled to calm himself, repeating between breaths “Calm down, Naegi, calm down.” Once his breathing and heart rate were back under control, Makoto pondered “Now, why is Bowser decapitated? I didn’t hit him **that** hard…” Makoto’s eyes widened in realization as he exclaimed “Wait…that happened in Luigi’s Mansion too…could it be that I was fighting King Boo the entire time?!”

“Upupupupu…”

Makoto paled as that familiar, haunting laugh reached his ears, his Racoon Tail standing on end as he breathed “No…it can’t be…”

Makoto’s eyes bulged in horror as Bowser’s body finally stood up, revealing the head and torso of none other than the Ultimate Despair herself, Junko Enoshima.

Shrieking, Makoto fell back on his tail, panicking _Ju…Junko…?! No, it can’t be…you…you’re…supp…supposed to be…_ “DEAD!?!?”

Grinning, Junko used the Bowser suit to walk until she was right in front of him, using a set of levers to operate the Bowser suit before snapping her fingers, making a chair materialize before she sat in it.

She then waved at the terrified boy and greeted “Hey Makoto, long time no see! Upupupupupu…”

_I…I don’t understand…Junko should be dead! Why is she here in the Mushroom Kingdom, operating a Bowser suit no less?! This doesn’t make any sense at all!_

As Makoto stared with wild eyes at his former classmate, Junko’s eyes grew as she adopted her cute persona, giggling “Aww, Makoto, you’re gonna make me blush if you keep staring at me like that, ya know?”

Makoto gasped as she extended one arm of the Bowser suit, snapping her claw and pulling the crystallized Kyoko to her telekinetically. Makoto paled as the Ultimate Detective was now ensnared in her claw, placing her on her side before the Ultimate Despair placed her right foot against Kyoko’s torso.

“No…no no no…PLEASE STOP!” Makoto screamed, trying to get to his feet to save Kyoko from being crushed to death, only for the shots of pain to force him back onto his rear.

Junko waved a claw at Makoto, grinning as she reverted back to her normal persona as she admonished him “Tsk tsk tsk…Makoto…this is your own fault. You failed to stop me, and anyone who fails their trial, must face **punishment!** And your punishment…will be…to watch the girl you love get **executed!** ”

“No, please…kill me, just leave Kyoko alone!”

“Too bad! Let’s give it everything we’ve got! IT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Makoto tearfully screamed as Junko finally stomped on Kyoko, shattering the crystal and Kyoko into countless shards. “Kyoko…Kyoko…”

Makoto hung his head, sobbing as he mourned his lost love. Eventually his sobs dissipated, turning into sorrowful giggles as he lifted his head, revealing an unnatural grin and swirls in his eyes, making Junko laugh.

“Upupupupupupupupupupupuuuuuu…”

XXX

Makoto shot up into a sitting position, gasping for breath as he brought his clammy hands up to stare at his palms.

“Hey, Makoto, are you alright?”

Makoto turned his head to stare at Hina, still in her Frog Suit as she looked at him with a worried expression.

“H…Hina…?”

Nodding, Hina gently rested her hand on his back, rubbing up and down soothingly as she assured him “It’s okay, it’s okay…we’re alright, Makoto…we’re safe…”

Her friendly touch allowed Makoto to calm down; breathing normally, he looked around and asked “Where are we?”

Removing her hand from his back, Hina answered “We’re in the Castle Medical Wing.”

“Hei-ho!”

Makoto turned his head to see Heiho walking up to him, a glass of water in hand as he stopped and offered it to him.

Makoto smiled gratefully and accepted it, replying “Thanks, Heiho-kun…” before shakily bringing it up to his lips and tilting it so that the water flowed down his throat.

Hina smiled and gushed “Oh, that was so nice of you, Heiho-kun! You’re a really good friend!”

“Hei-ho…” Heiho blushed and rubbed the back of his hood in embarrassment, happy to receive a compliment from Hina.

After handing the now empty cup back to Hina, who put it on one of the nearby tables, Makoto wondered “So…how did we get…here…” Makoto trailed off as the memories of Bowser’s surprise attack and Kyoko’s kidnapping flashed before his eyes, causing him to exclaim “KYOKO!” and panickedly stand up, only to sway and fall back on the bed as he hadn’t completely recovered his sense of equilibrium.

“Whoa, take it easy, Makoto!”

“Hei-ho!”

As Makoto struggled to sit up, Hina scolded “Makoto, you’ve gotta be careful! I know you’re worried about Kyoko, but you just woke up! You can’t just jump into action before you’ve even recovered!”

“Right, s…sorry…you mind helping me stand?”

“Sure…” Hina nodded, taking Makoto’s hands and pulling him into a standing position, Heiho keeping his legs steady until Makoto found his center of balance, standing upright.

“Alright…so…how did we get here? Last thing I remember was passing out after Bowser used that sleeping gas on us.”

Hina nodded, explaining “Once the sleeping gas dissipated, the other Toads carried us into the Medical Wing to recover. The others have woken up already and are trying to come up with a plan to rescue Kyoko and get the Magenti-Star back.”

Makoto stopped listening after “rescue Kyoko” however, feeling his eyes start to water, his Tanuki Ears and Racoon Tail drooping as he bowed his head. Makoto closed his eyes, tears trickling down his cheeks onto the floor as his nightmare flashed in his mind.

“…Are you listening, Makoto? Makoto, why are you crying?!”

“Hei-ho!”

Snapped out of his despair, Makoto shook his head and wiped his eyes on his wrist, scolding himself _Get a grip, Naegi! Bowser isn’t Junko! He won’t kill Kyoko; he needs her alive to take her as his bride…_

Makoto felt himself become red with fury, the image of Kyoko in a white wedding dress kissing the Koopa King making him want to throw up his lunch.

He took a deep breath to calm down, then looked up at the worried Hina, apologizing “Sorry, Hina, Heiho-kun. I was just…remembering a bad dream…anyway, I want to be part of the discussion for how we save Kyoko. You guys mind…helping me down there?”

“Sure thing, Makoto!” Hina agreed, smiling as she walked behind him, wrapping her arm around his waist and allowing him to lean on her. “Heiho-kun, you mind walking behind him to steady him in case he starts to sway?”

“Hei-ho!” Heiho saluted before marching over behind them, keeping his hands pressed behind Makoto’s knees.

“Thanks, you guys…” Makoto’s eyes narrowed in determination as he exclaimed “Alright, let’s go!”

“That’s the spirit, Makoto! Just take it slow…put one foot in front of the other.”

“Hei-ho. Hei-ho.”

XXX

Hiro paced in a circle, muttering incoherently as he appeared deep in thought, while Yoshi lay curled in a corner, depressed that the Dr. Toads booted him out of the Medical Ward when they had to treat Makoto and the others. Meanwhile Byakuya, Toko, Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde stood around the sun design in the center of the Castle Lobby as they debated their next course of action.

Byakuya suggested “First and foremost, we need a plan of attack so we can storm Bowser’s Castle and reclaim the Magenti-Star he stole from us.”

“Well, we also need to factor in Kyoko’s rescue.” Captain Toad pointed out, making Byakuya close his eyes and smirk smugly.

“Well, that goes without saying…Toko, you must have written countless novels about dashing knights rescuing damsels in distress from tyrants in castles. Any insight on how we should plan our next move?”

“Well…it’s been a while, but I think I remember…”

“YOSHI!!!”

“Hey, it’s Makoto and Hina and Heiho-kun!” Captain Toad exclaimed.

“Hey, you’re right! The little dude’s awake, for serious!”

“T…took him long enough…” Toko muttered as they watched Makoto wave at them as he and Hina walked down the stairs, releasing him from her grasp as they reached the bottom floor.

“Thanks for helping me get my bearings, guys…I’m okay now, really…oof! Maybe not…” Makoto smiled weakly as Yoshi tackled him in a hug, laughing as the green dinosaur assaulted him with licks. “Haha, good to see you too, boy!”

Once boy and steed had separated and Makoto wiped off Yoshi’s slobber with the arm of his jacket, Toko scoffed “You sure took your t…time, Sleeping Be…beauty…”

A vein in her forehead pulsing, Hina objected “That’s so mean of you, Toko! We breathed in **sleeping gas**! It’s not like he just decided to take a nap and lie down on the job!”

“We woke up w…way before him though! Who’s to say he wasn’t na…napping in se…secret…?”

Hina opened her mouth to interject, only for Byakuya to cut them off with an irate expression “Toko, Hina, **enough**! We have more important matters to discuss…”

Makoto nodded, thinking _Yeah, like rescuing Kyoko from Bowser…_

“…like getting the Magenti-Star back so we can get home.”

“Huh?” Makoto exclaimed, causing the others to stare at him as his eyes narrowed in anger at Byakuya. “I can’t believe you, Byakuya! Kyoko’s been **captured**! We’ve gotta storm the castle and **rescue** her! Are you seriously considering just leaving her behind?!”

Surprised by Makoto’s uncharacteristically straightforwardness, Byakuya nonetheless pushed back “Makoto, in case you forgot, without the Magenti-Star, we’re stuck here; none of us will be able to get back home. If it came down to it, Kyoko would **want** us to choose to reclaim the Magenti-Star and get back home, even if it meant leaving her behind. Or are you saying you’d let her hard work and sacrifice be in vain?”

“No, but…” Makoto closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down, telling himself _Calm down, Naegi. Byakuya’s wrong, and you know he’s wrong. Arguing with him on this is a waste of time. No matter what, Kyoko’s safe return comes first. We leave together, or we stay together. We owe it to those of us who died in that Killing Game to not lose any more friends. And besides, I…I could **never** abandon Kyoko! If Byakuya’s too stubborn to realize it…then…I’ll just go to Bowser’s Castle and bring her back myself!_

Taking Makoto’s silence as resignation, Byakuya smirked and replied “So, you have no rebuttal? Then…hey, Makoto?! Where are you going?!”

“Yeah, get back here! Ma…Master wasn’t done ta…talking to you!”

Makoto ignored Byakuya and Toko, his eyes narrowed in determination as he threw the Castle Doors open, marching outside. The others looked to each other and, with a silent nod in agreement, walked out of the lobby to follow Makoto, curious as to what Makoto was planning to do.

XXX

 _…Is he trying to fly again?_ The others wondered, sweatdropping as Makoto continued to hop around the nearby fountain.

Hina pumped her fists and cheered “You can do it, Makoto! Just focus on how much you love Kyoko and you’ll be flying in no time!”

“Hei-ho!” Heiho exclaimed as he imitated Hina’s pose.

“YOSHI!”

“Oof!” Makoto groaned as he faceplanted into the ground again.

 _…This is embarrassing to watch…_ Toko, Hiro, and Byakuya deadpanned, the former two rolling their eyes.

Byakuya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before walking up to Makoto as the Racoon Boy stood up, scolding him “Makoto, quit wasting our time with this silly little stunt of yours. Hopping around the this fountain isn’t going to rescue Kirigiri, or get us the Magenti-Star back. So get back into the Castle and help us come up with a **real** plan.”

*Snap*

Makoto felt his self-control break at Byakuya’s condescending words, his eyes narrowing in anger and blazing with fury as he turned around and pointed at the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, telling him calmly “Byakuya…I’ve had it up to **here** with your smug attitude. I kept quiet in the interest of preserving our unity as a group, but if listening to you means losing another friend…losing **Kyoko** …then kindly shut the fuck up!”

“Wh…what did you say?!” Byakuya breathed, shocked that Makoto had talked back to him, with such crude language no less.

“Damn…who knew the little guy had it in him?” Hiro muttered.

Toko looked down at him and muttered “You’re one to t…talk…compared to you, Makoto’s a gi…giant…more importantly…” Toko pointed at Makoto and exclaimed “How dare you t…talk to Ma…Master like that. Apologize, right n…now!”

“Yeah! Apologize to our King!” Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde agreed with their Queen.

Makoto ignored Toko and the Goombas and continued “You heard me, Togami! And don’t make me repeat myself!” Byakuya blinked at the use of his own words against him as Makoto went on “I’ve played these games since I was a little kid! Have you? Have any of you? I don’t think so! I got my Racoon Tail and Tanuki Ears from a Super Leaf, so I know that I can fly! And I know **exactly** where Bowser’s Castle is! If you’re not willing to help save Kyoko, then I’ll fly there myself, I **will** save Kyoko from Bowser, and I’ll even get the Magenti-Star back so we can **all** go home **together!** I refuse to lose another friend, so quit wasting my time with your condescending attitude Byakuya!”

Byakuya’s jaw slackened, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny shocked at how angry Makoto was and how forcefully he had stood up for himself. Everyone else approached them, their eyes widened in shock at Makoto’s angry and emotional speech. Toko grit her teeth, angry at Makoto for talking back to Byakuya and rendering him speechless. She moved to raise her hand to summon a hammer and whack Makoto over the head with it to put him in his place but gasped as Byakuya raised his hand and gestured for her to stand down.

 _…Is he just gonna let that slide?_ The others thought in unison as Toko reluctantly lowered her hand.

To their surprise, Byakuya’s lips tugged into a calm smirk as he asked “Is that so? Well then, prove me wrong.”

“Huh?” Everyone else, including Makoto, uttered in unison.

Sighing, Byakuya continued “Listen up, because you **know** I hate repeating myself.” Byakuya folded his arms across his chest and continued “You claim that you can fly, so prove to me that you can fly and save Kirigiri.”

Makoto and Byakuya entered into a staring contest, the tension palpable in the air until at last Makoto returned Byakuya’s smirk with one of his own, boasting as he clenched his fist “I’ll prove to **everyone** that I can fly!”

“You can do it, Makoto! Reach for that Gold Medal high in the sky!”

“Hei-ho!”

“Yoshi!”

“You can do it, Makoto!” Captain Toad cheered along with Hina, Heiho, and Yoshi.

“Wh…what are you waiting for? Get you lazy t…tail in ger and shoot into the s…sky already so you can save Ki…Kirigiri…” Toko stuttered.

“Yeah, dude, for serious! You have to fly! Fly to save Kyoko!” Hiro cheered.

“Hina…Hiro…Toko…” Makoto’s eyes began to water as he beamed at the encouragement from his friends.

Makoto narrowed his eyes in determination and crouched to leap into the air, only to be startled and fall on his face as Captain Toad exclaimed “Makoto, wait!” As Makoto groaned and got up again, Captain Toad apologized “Sorry, I just remembered something I forgot to tell you when we first met!” Seeing everyone turn to stare at him, Captain Toad explained “Anyway, it’s true that you need to jump with a running start to fly, but that’s not all you need.”

Captain Toad walked up to Makoto and poked his chest right where his heart lay beating.

“You need to be thinking of something that makes your heart flutter. For Mario, it’s Princess Peach. For Luigi, it’s Princess Daisy. You just need to think of something, or **someone** , that makes your heart flutter, and you’ll be able to fly.”

 _…Why didn’t you tell him that before?!_ Everyone except Makoto thought, resisting the urge to facepalm at Captain Toad’s forgetfulness.

Makoto meanwhile pondered _Let’s see…someone who makes my heart flutter…I mean, I love my parents and Komaru, but somehow I don’t think that’s what he means. So who…_

_“My name is…Kyoko Kirigiri.”_

_No way…Kyoko?!_ Makoto thought as his eyes widened in realization, memories of him and Kyoko flooding his mind.

_“Hold on. It’s still too early to decide conclusively that Makoto is the killer, wouldn’t you say?”_

_“Because…you’re the kind of person who can overcome this.”_

_“I don’t expect you to forgive me. I know this is all my fault.”_

_“I abandoned you.”_

_“He would never want us to abandon Makoto and choose to stay here.”_

_“I think we can call you…the Ultimate Hope.”_

_“Cute…so…soo…cute…”_

_“Th…Thank you…it was nothing…I just used the element of surprise, was all…”_

_“As strange as this whole adventure has been…I won’t ever forget it…because you were there to share it with me…”_

_“Thank goodness you’re okay…”_

_“You gave me so much hope, Makoto…”_

_I…I understand now…I know I thought it once after she cheered me up, and I said it when I was about to lose consciousness, but I dismissed them as something said in the heat of the moment. But now I know…the one who makes my heart flutter…is Kyoko Kirigiri. I…I LOVE KYOKO!_

Beaming with joy, Makoto looked down, gasping in shock as he saw that he was no longer touching the ground, his Racoon Tail rotating like a propeller and helping him to hover above the tallest tower of Peach’s castle.

“I…I did it…as soon as I admitted that I love Kyoko…I began to fly. I’m flying…I’M ACTUALLY FLYING!” Makoto narrowed his eyes and shouted “ALRIGHT KYOKO, I’M COMING TO SAVE YOU! THEN I’LL TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU…my beautiful Princess…”

With his mission in mind, Makoto zipped across the sky, the others watching with impressed smiles he disappeared across the horizon.

XXX

*Gasp*

Kyoko shot up, gasping for breath as her eyes opened, her vision still coming into focus. Eventually she got her breathing under control and her vision finally cleared.

“Where…where am I…” Kyoko wondered as she looked around, taking in the grey metallic walls and the equally grey stone table that she was sitting on.

A chuckle rang throughout the room, causing her to turn her head, her eyes widening as she saw Bowser sitting on his throne a few feet away, musing “Ah, so you’ve finally awaken, my dear.”

Confused, Kyoko closed her eyes and wondered _Who…who is this creature? And why…?_ Kyoko’s eyes opened as the memories of Bowser’s attack and her abduction flooded her mind, realizing _Oh, right…that’s Bowser…he took the Magenti-Star from us, and took me hostage…_

Kyoko was brought out of her musings as Bowser noted “You must have had one scary dream, to wake up from my sleeping gas so soon…” Bowser grinned as he gloated “Perhaps you were so terrified of my power from last time that you had a nightmare. Don’t feel bad, it’s only natural to feel fear in the face of my awesomeness!”

 _I’ve faced corpses more terrifying than you!_ Kyoko shook her head and denied “Wrong. My nightmare was about a certain strawberry blond snake.”

Bowser raised an eyebrow, confused by Kyoko’s denial, but brushed the thought aside as he replied “Ah, not important. What matters is that I have the Magenti-Star and my master plan can finally begin!”

Bowser pointed to one of the walls with a claw, Kyoko following his gesture to see the sparkling Magenti-Star, locked away in a glass case.

_Well, at least now I don’t have to worry about finding it. Now I just have to deal with this oversized turtle clown._

Bowser then leapt from his throne, a minor boom echoing in the room as he landed in front of it and boasted “Now that I have the Magenti-Star, I can finally use it to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom and…”

 _Why is he…monologuing? Does this happen to Mario during all those games Makoto talked about?_ Kyoko wondered as Bowser droned on and on about his master plan. The Ultimate Detective tuned him out, reasoning _Under most circumstances, I’d **want** to get any and all information from an evil Mastermind, but Makoto’s told me all I need to know already. His only goals are to kidnap Princess Peach and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. He’s so one-dimensional it’s not even funny. He’s no criminal Mastermind, just a clown._

Junko’s grinning face flashed in her mind, making Kyoko shiver as she recalled how Junko nearly outsmarted her by throwing her into despair.

_Yes, Bowser is no Junko; Junko was unpredictable with a well thought out plan that plummeted the world into a despair-filled apocalypse. This turtle clown on the other hand has a one-track mind. No, it’s best that I try to investigate this room as much as I can for any exits._

With her objective now clear, Kyoko subtly gazed around the room, taking care not to move from the stone table so as to not disrupt Bowser while he was distracted.

_Let’s see…I see some windows, and they don’t appear to be locked…but I’m not tall enough to reach them without my Bunny powers, and I don’t see any kind of stepladder. I suppose I could use his throne as a slanted surface to climb up, but I have no idea if it’s nailed to the floor. At this point, my best bet is to just use the front door. But it’s likely under heavy guard, and I can’t discount the possibility that he’s set traps for unsuspecting adventurers like Mario…or…Makoto…_

Shaking the thought from her head before she started to get worried, Kyoko shifted her gaze to stare at the sealed Magenti-Star.

_No, Makoto’s an expert in these games. I don’t believe that he’d let himself get caught by Bowser’s traps. The first problem I have to deal with is getting the Magenti-Star back. Even if I concocted an escape plan, I can’t leave without it, or we’ll never be able to get back home…_

“…and then I’ll make you my blushing bride…”

“What?!” Kyoko breathed, turning her gaze back to the monologuing Koopa King as her face formed a completely baffled expression. “Come again?” Kyoko asked, managing to revert to her more neutral expression and voice.

Flinching in surprise, Bowser reiterated “Didn’t you hear me? I said that I’ll take you as my blushing bride.”

 _…How the hell would a human and a giant turtle even be compatible?!_ Kyoko asked herself, barely able to keep the bile down her throat as she tried to imagine any kind of romantic interaction with the Koopa King. _Anyway, there’s no way in hell I’d marry that monster!_ Clenching her right fist, Kyoko pointed at Bowser and told him “No such marriage will ever happen between the two of us.” _Besides, there’s only one person I’d ever want to marry, and he’s **way** cuter than you will ever be!_

“GWA HA HA! You don’t have a choice, Princess! Once I take over the Mushroom Kingdom, you **will** marry me, even if I have to get that dimensional interloper Nastasia to hypnotize you into saying **I do**! Besides, who’s going to save you? That shrimpy Racoon kid with the ahoge? Please, I’ve trained **Goombas** that were tougher than that little squirt! GWA HA HA!”

As Bowser continued to cackle and make fun of Makoto, Kyoko’s eyes narrowed, flames of fury enveloping her and setting her violet orbs ablaze as she clenched her fists tight enough to draw blood if her gloves weren’t protecting her scarred hands.

_How dare you…HOW DARE YOU! You dare to belittle the boy I love with insults? Well, that **shrimp** has more power inside of him than you’ll ever have! And I won’t sit here and take it while you laugh at him and make fun of him!_

Completely silent, she stood up and began walking over to the cackling Koopa King, who finally stopped laughing and watched with curiosity as she stomped over to him, earthquakes booming with each step she took.

 _She doesn’t look happy…but what could she possibly gonna…_ “AAGGGGHHHHHHH!” Bowser yelped as Kyoko launched her right foot, her heeled boots connecting with his chin and sending him flying backwards, toppling over his throne before he flipped and landed on his feet.

Bowser shook his head, slightly dazed from Kyoko’s surprise attack as he nursed his bruised chin, making Kyoko smirk in satisfaction as she crossed her arms over her chest, staring defiantly at Bowser.

That defiant smirk set Bowser off; once he got his bearings together, he bared his fangs and growled “Not smart, little girl…” Flames of fury blazed in Bowser’s eyes as anger seeped into his voice, the Koopa King pointing a claw at Kyoko and announcing “Now I’m gonna have to punish you!”

Bowser flashed his claws to intimidate her, but it had no effect as Kyoko only narrowed her eyes in determination, the Ultimate Detective getting into a battle-ready stance that her maternal Grandfather had taught her as a little girl.

“Bring it on, Godzilla!” The pissed off Kyoko challenged as Bowser let out a deafening roar and charged at Kyoko. Kyoko broke into a charge of her own, quickly analyzing Bowser’s movements and attributes as she calculated a battle plan, vowing as they leapt into the air _I have to win! Not just because he kidnapped me like some possession, not just because I need to get the Magenti-Star back so we can all go home…but most importantly…_ Makoto’s smiling face flashed before her eyes as she smirked and thought _…to defend Makoto’s honor!_

XXX

 _Finally…I thought that Angry Sun would never leave me alone…ah, there it is! Bowser’s Castle, here I come!_ Makoto thought as he saw a giant grey and gold castle below him, complete with a sign plastered on the front that read “BOWSER” in bright neon lights. Makoto grinned as he exclaimed “This is so cool! I’ve always wanted to…” Makoto shook his head and reminded himself with a frown “Get a grip, Naegi; this is no time to be a fanboy! Kyoko needs you to rescue her, so focus on being her hero!”

Sighing, Makoto gradually slowed the spinning of his tail, allowing him to descend in front of the castle, its towering size now intimidating to the excited and anxious Racoon Luckster.

“Alright, I’ll need to come up with a plan of attack if I’m going make it to Bowser’s Throne Room. I’ll have to be careful around the pillars and the Thwomps, not to mention Dry Bones, Ball N’ Chains, those statues that shoot lasers, the Chargin’ Chucks…” Makoto slapped his forehead as he realized “Doy! Why am I thinking about going through that gauntlet when I can just use the secret warp pipe as a back door and skip all the dangerous parts?! Thanks for getting me that Nintendo Power subscription for Christmas as a kid, Dad!”

Makoto smiled smugly as he ran around the perimeter of the castle, making his way to a single green Warp Pipe by the Castle’s left side.

As he bent his knees, Makoto wondered “Though why doesn’t Bowser guard or destroy such an easy entrance into his lair?” Makoto shrugged and decided “Ah, no need to worry about that right now; Kyoko’s waiting for me to rescue her. Alright my beautiful Detective Princess, here I come!”

With that, Makoto finally jumped, using his tail as a springboard as he flipped into the Warp Pipe.

XXX

Makoto whistled, then he looked around the square, grey stone-walled room with two doors and a single slight illuminating the area from above.

“This room looks like it was designed for a mini boss battle…Huh?!” Makoto exclaimed as the light suddenly went off before the echo of low chuckles reverberated across the room. Smacking himself on the forehead, Makoto groaned “I shouldn’t have said that out loud…”

At that moment, the lights came on, causing Makoto to look up, his eyes widening as he found himself surrounded by four large Koopas. One had a magenta-colored head and wore sunglasses, one had a white head with a grey star pattern surrounding his left eye, one had thin blue hair, and the other had wider blue hair.

As Makoto quivered in fear, the four Koopas burst into laughter, the one with sunglasses laughing “Ha ha ha! Boy, what an unfortunate nitwit this Racoon Boy is!”

The one with thin blue hair cackled “That’s right, brother! King Dad’s idea to leave the secret Warp Pipe to our playroom unguarded was a spectacular idea!”

 _Now I understand…that Warp Pipe was a trap!_ Makoto realized as the four Koopas grinned at him, their laughter finally dying down.

The one with sunglasses commented “Alright Racoon Boy, before we pulverize you for trying to sneak into King Dad’s Castle and trying to interrupt his alone time with our new Mom, I suppose we can tell you our names as a participation trophy. I’m the mighty…”

“Roy! You’re Roy Koopa!”

“…What…?” Roy uttered, baffled as Makoto hopped up and down in excitement, grinning as he turned and pointed to the others, stars in his eyes.

“And you’re Morton Koopa Jr., you’re Larry Koopa, and you’re Ludwig von Koopa! Your four of Bowser’s eight Koopaling children!”

 _How…how did he know our names?! And why isn’t he scared?! He’s taking the fun out of this…_ The four Koopalings thought, staring with baffled expressions on their faces as Makoto didn’t show an ounce of fear in their presence.

Shaking his head and trying to get his intimidating expression back, Ludwig growled “…Correct, but flatter will get you nowhere, Racoon Boy! Koopalings, get ready to pulverize this…”

“Wait!” Makoto interjected, causing the four Koopalings to fall over from being startled. Makoto scratched his cheek and apologized “Sorry, it’s just…before you pulverize me…can I ask you guys a couple of questions please?”

 _…Is he for real?!_ The four Koopalings thought in unison, gingerly standing up. Seeing Makoto continue to hop in place with stars in his eyes, they collectively sighed, realizing _He’ll probably never shut up if we don’t…fine, let’s just get this over with so we can pulverize him._

Nodding to each other, Morton answered reluctantly “…What’re your questions, kid?”

Makoto grinned, then mimicked Kyoko’s contemplative pose as he asked “Okay, so first…are you guys really Bowser’s biological children? That would make you Bowser Jr’s siblings, right?” _Nintendo gave conflicting statements on it over the years, so it’d be helpful to get the answer straight from the turtle’s shell!_

The four Koopalings collectively sighed as Larry groaned “Yes, we are indeed King Dad’s children. Bowser Jr. gets more credit because he’s the youngest and is a total attention hog.”

“Yeah, and it’s **so** annoying, seeing King Dad take Jr. on all his new schemes while we have to stay home and clean the castle…” Roy grumbled, leading his brothers to nod in agreement.

Larry then explained “Though it doesn’t mean we don’t love our little brother!”, leading to another simultaneous concurring nod from his siblings.

Makoto nodded “I totally understand! I have a little sister back home named Komaru, and even though we get on each other’s nerves, we still…”

“Don’t bore us with your sentimental rubbish kid; just get on with your other question so we can get to pulverizing you.”

Makoto chuckle sheepishly as Morton cut him off, scratching his cheek and apologizing “Right, sorry.” He then pointed up to the ceiling and asked “So…since you guys know this castle inside and out…what the heck is that thing up there?”

All four Koopalingslooked up at the ceiling, causing Roy to scratch his head and remark “Oh, that’s just the disco ba…”

“AGH!” The Koopalings yelped as Makoto crouched and spun in a circle, his tail tripping the Koopalings and causing them to fall on their bellies.

“YES, IT WORKED!” Makoto cheered, bouncing back up into a standing position before turning to the door labeled “To King Bowser’s Throne Room” and announcing “Alright, now to find Kyoko! Later, Koopalings!”

The four Koopalings groaned as they stood up, Roy gritting his teeth as he watched Makoto run away.

“Oh no; you’re not getting away that easily!” Roy growled as he ran to the wall and pulled a big red lever, forcing Makoto to skid to a halt as a metal door slid over the wooden one, trapping him inside.

Makoto groaned and turned around, exclaiming “I **so** don’t have time for this!” He narrowed his eyes and pointed at Roy, demanding “Open this door, now!”

“Oh, I don’t think so! We haven’t even gotten a chance to play with you yet, and we have quite the magic show planned!” Ludwig taunted, withdrawing a silver wand with a blue, spherical tip as Roy walked back over to them.

Sighing Makoto did his best to get into a fighting stance, nervously regretting _Man, I really wish I had asked Sakura to teach me some martial arts before she died…_ Makoto smiled as he reminded himself _It should be okay though; I **do** know how to beat these Koopalings after all…_ Makoto narrowed his eyes and pointed at them, declaring “I’ve beaten all of you in the Mario games before, and I’ll do it again, right here, right now!”

The four Koopalings looked to each other, baffled expressions on their faces before they shrugged and Morton retorted “I don’t know what game you’re talking about, Racoon Boy, but one thing is for sure…” At that moment, Ludwig waved his wand, causing the tip and the four Koopalings to glow, surrounded by a bright blue aura as Morton grinned and finished “…this is no game!”

Makoto’s eyes bulged as he trembled with fear, the Koopalings growing bigger and bigger until they towered at over 12 feet tall, ninja gear materializing on their bodies. Makoto gulped, causing the Koopalings to smirk as they moved into a team pose, proclaiming “We’re the Sneaky Lying Cheating Giant Ninja Koopas!”

As a brief explosion played behind them, Makoto sweatdropped, thinking _From the American cartoon? Seriously?! Even I think this is a little too silly…_

Roy cracked his knuckles and exclaimed “Alright, time to flatten you like a pancake, Racoon Boy! HAAAAAAAA!”

Roy drew his fist back and punched the ground where Makoto was, only for the Racoon Luckster to bounce out of the way.

“Oh no you don’t!” Morton taunted, forcing Makoto to dodge again when Morton tried to flatten him under his foot.

And so the song and dance continued, all four Koopalings trying in vain to flatten Makoto, while Makoto had no effective means of launching a counterattack.

_Damn, they’re too big! I can’t jump high enough, and the ceiling’s too low for me to fly! What do I do!_

Eventually, Makoto ended up in the middle of the room, panting from exhaustion as he was surrounded by the four Ninja Koopas.

_No, I’m boxed in! I won’t be able to rescue Kyoko!_

Ludwig smirked, raising his foot and asking “Well, any last words before I turn you into a Racoon Pancake?”

Makoto closed his eyes, bracing himself for his inevitable demise, whimpering “Kyoko…I’m sorry…I wasn’t strong enough…”

“That’s right; you didn’t stand a boo of a chance against us. Now, goodbye, Racoon Boy…”

*WHOOSH*

“What the?!”

“What is that?!”

“It’s a cyclone!”

“Impossible!”

“Huh?” Makoto wondered, opening his eyes and feeling a strong wind make his jacket and hoodie flap.

He turned around and gaped at the sight of a small cyclone spinning behind him. Their surprise only intensified when a giant hammer flew from the eye of the storm, causing Ludwig to stumble backwards in order to avoid the surprise projectile.

As it buried itself in the stone floor, Makoto glanced back to the cyclone and the hammer repeatedly, gradually smiling as he cheered _I’m alive! I don’t know where those came from, but I am **not** complaining!_

Eventually the winds died down, making Makoto gape in awe as the cyclone dissipated, revealing Byakuya, Toko, Hina, Heiho, and Yoshi, as well as Hiro who was riding on Yoshi’s saddle.

 _W…who the heck are they?!_ The Ninja Koopas thought as Toko strode up and took back her hammer, the shocked Ludwig falling back on his shell.

As Ludwig struggled to stand back up, Makoto stood up and turned to his friends, exclaiming “You guys! How did you get here?!”

Byakuya smirked and pulled out a golden flute, Makoto’s eyes narrowing as he analyzed it before a gleeful grin stretched from ear to ear and he exclaimed “Holy crap! The Warp Whistle! You guys used the Warp Whistle! How’d you guys get the Warp Whistle!”

Byakuya sighed and urged “Calm yourself, Makoto; your enthusiasm is grating on my patience. Hina, would you mind explaining to Makoto how we got here? As the energetic one, you’re the best equipped to tolerate his unbridled joy.”

Nodding, Hina explained “So um…as we were about to follow you, Captain Toad gave us that whistle and told us that it would take us to the Castle. So of course we played it so we could help you rescue Kyoko.”

“You…you guys…” Makoto sniffled, touched that his friends decided to help him after all. Once his tears dried up and he wiped his eyes on his sleeve, Makoto narrowed his eyes and declared “Alright, let’s take down these Koopalings TOGETHER!”

Byakuya sighed “Makoto, isn’t there something else you need to be doing right now?”

Makoto’s eyes widened as he realized _Oh yeah that’s right…Kyoko still needs my help. But still…_ Makoto’s brow furrowed as he looked to his friends in concern and asked “Are you guys gonna be okay fighting the Sneaky Lying Cheating Giant Ninja Koopas by themselves?”

Toko scoffed “P…please…how tough can they be…with a st…stupid name like that?!”

“Hey, it’s an awesome name!” Morton retorted, a vain pulsing in his forehead, only for the others to ignore him.

Roy spoke up next, threatening “It doesn’t matter what you think of our name; none of you will be getting out of here alive!”

Byakuya smirked and replied as a golden fireball formed in his hand “I beg to differ…” before throwing it at the metal door, vaporizing it and the wooden door behind it, leaving only a pile of gold coins in its wake.

Makoto and the Ninja Koopas gaped, exclaiming “He…he destroyed the door…and turned it into money!”

“Money money money…” Hiro chanted from his place on Yoshi’s saddle.

“Don’t look so surprised…” Byakuya taunted. “We’re the Ultimates, chosen to be a part of the elite Hope’s Peak Academy…and so is Makoto here.”

 _I’m…I’m an Ultimate!_ Makoto smiled, nodding as he felt his insecurities about his self-worth completely wash away before he turned to run for the stairs behind the pile of gold coins.

“Makoto, wait!” 

Just barely managing to avoid tripping, Makoto turned back to face Byakuya, who reached into his pocket and threw a small ? block to Makoto.

“What…what’s this?”

“Captain Toad told us to give it to you so you could give it to Kyoko when you rescue her.”

Makoto nodded, putting it in his pocket and accepting “Okay, if Captain Toad says it’ll help Kyoko, then I’ll trust him.”

Without another word, Makoto turned and ran up the stairs, Larry yelling “Hey, get back here Racoon Boy! We’re not done with you ye…AAAAAAIIIIIIII!”

Larry stopped in his tracks, his claw burned by Byakuya’s golden fireball as he blew on the wound.

As the Ninja Koopas glared at the group of friends, Byakuya proclaimed “You won’t do anything unless I order you to.”

The group of friends got into various battle stances, preparing themselves for the battle at hand as Hiro exclaimed “Alright everyone, pick a partner and let’s dance!”

XXX

“RAWR!” Larry yelled as he tried to fury swipe Hina and Heiho, only for Hina to hop around him with her Frog Powers.

“Hei-ho!” Heiho was not so fortunate however, as he was backhanded and sent flying until he crashed into the nearby wall.

“Heiho-kun!” Hina cried before she grit her teeth, her eyes narrowing in rage as she flipped into a flying kick.

“AGH!” Larry cried, his vision fading into black as he toppled over, swirls in his eyes.

Hina grinned before she ran over to Heiho, who was leaning against the wall for support as he struggled to stand before she kneeled in front of him and asked “Heiho-kun! Are you alright? Just take it easy, okay? I’m gonna go help the others.”

“Hei…Hei-ho…” Heiho weakly nodded as Hina ran over to the others, shaking the stars from his eyes as he tried to steady himself. He then noticed a silver wand with a blue top rolling towards him, making his eyes widen behind his mask as he realized _this…this is…one of the magic wands that Wart mentioned before I switched sides…if I’m right…_ Heiho’s lips stretched into a Cheshire grin as the gears in his head started to turn.

XXX

“AGH!” Morton cried, shutting his eyes as Yoshi spit green juice at him, temporarily blinding the Ninja Koopa.

“Waaaahhhhhh!” Hiro cried, accidentally flung from Yoshi’s saddle as he was sent flying through the air, grabbing onto the ninja belt hanging from Morton’s forehead.

Morton’s eyes narrowed as he exclaimed “Get off me, you mini-Pokey-Head!”

Hiro yelped as Morton raised his hand to swat him off, the Ultimate Clairvoyant using the fabric like a jungle vine in order to evade Morton’s slaps.

“Grr…hold still you pest!” Morton growled, curing his claws into a fist and launching it to punch Hiro, only for the agile Clairvoyant to dodge, causing Morton to deck himself. “Oww!” Morton cried as he held his snout and fell on his shell, allowing Hiro to scramble off of him. “You made me break my nose!”

“Now, Yoshi!”

“YOSHI!”

“What…?” The dazed Morton mumbled, only for his eyes to widen as he saw Yoshi leap above him, flipping once before launching himself straight down on Morton’s head.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Morton screamed before Yoshi’s tail bashed Morton’s face, bruising the Ninja Koopa and knocking him unconscious, making swirls appear in his eyes.

“Woohoo! We did it!” Hiro cheered, holding his right hand up to the ceiling in victory.

“YOSHI!” Yoshi cheered, jumping next to Hiro before spinning on one leg and holding his arms to the side like an airplane’s wings.

XXX

“Ow, ow, OW!!!” Roy yelped as he was pelted by a barrage of hammers and golden fireballs.

Byakuya smirked at Toko and complimented “I must admit, you performance in battle is quite…satisfactory.”

Toko blushed, giggling “Th…thank you Ma…Master…I’ll put everything I ha…have into this ba…battle…it’s all I’m use…useful for after all…”

As Byakuya opened his mouth to speak, a vein pulsed in Roy’s forehead as he cut him off “HEY! ARE WE FIGHTING OR ARE YOU TWO JUST FLIRTING AND NOT TAKING ME SERIOUSLY!”

Toko’s eyes narrowed as she pointed at Roy and retorted “How d…dare you accuse us of…” Toko’s nose twitched, making her eyes widen as she quickly covered her nose, squeaking “Oh no…ah..ahh…AH-CHOO!” Toko’s eyes turned red as she let her hands fall, cackling “AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! Miss me, bitches?!”

Roy flinched, creeped out by Toko’s change in personality, and her elongated slithering tongue, while Byakuya merely sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he groaned “I suppose it was only a matter of time before Jill came out to play…”

“Now where’s…ah, there you are, Master…hey, what’s with the overalls look? That’s way too tacky for you, even if they’re made out of gold…” Jill looked over herself, asking “And why am I wearing this giant shell on my back? I can’t even show off my boobs to Master with this! And why is that swimming bimbo dressed as a Frog? And is that a dinosaur and a little opera singer over there? And why is Hiro the size of an action figure? And why are we surrounded by giant turtles dressed like ninjas? Is this some kind of crazy Halloween party? The stone age castle design totally sucks! At least give me a weapon to show off…WHAT?!”

Jill raised her hand, accidentally materializing a hammer in her hand, making her eyes bulge in shock.

Totally baffled, confused, and overwhelmed, she scowled and demanded “ALRIGHT, SOMEBODY, CONTEXT, NOW!!!”

Byakuya sighed and conceded “That’s right, you two don’t share memories. Very well, but don’t make me repeat myself. You see…agh! Get off me!”

Byakuya tried to push Jill off as she dropped the hammer and ran over to snuggle him, gushing “Oh, Master, I don’t care anymore; you being here is all the high score I need! I don’t even need any 1-Ups as long as I have your love!”

 _Please…no video game pickup lines…_ Byakuya silently begged, veins pulsing in his and Roy’s heads.

Roy growled, causing Byakuya and Jill to turn their attention to him as he bellowed “I’m gonna make pancakes out of you two…starting with **you** , Gold Boy…AGH!” Roy groaned as Jill dislodged herself from Byakuya, scowling as she summoned a giant hammer and zipped over to Roy, leaping up and smashing it against his face.

As Roy toppled onto his shell and blacked out, Jill spat “How dare you threaten Master Byakuya…in front of me!!!”

XXX

“Well…at least it was a useful attack…” Byakuya admitted as the others gathered around them.

Jill’s eyes turned into anime hearts as she latched onto Byakuya, who blushed despite his blank expression as he admitted “…We’re going to need to have a **long** talk afterwards about how this relationship will work…” He and the others turned to face Ludwig as Byakuya decided “In the meantime, please remove yourself from me so we can focus on the last threat before us.”

Ludwig seethed “You may have defeated my brothers, but you’ll never defeat…me…what…what’s happening?!”

A blue glow enveloped Ludwig von Koopa as he began to shrink down to normal size. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Ludwig turned around, his eyes widening as he saw Heiho tapping his wand against his palm like a baseball bat.

“Hei-ho!”

“Heiho-kun! You’ve recovered!”

“Hei-ho.” Heiho nodded in assurance before narrowing his eyes, winding back the baseball bat with his arms.

“Now now…no need to get hasty…let’s just…talk this out, oka…AGH!” Ludwig yelped as Heiho swung the wand, its tip shattering into blue shards as it smashed against his face, making Ludwig spin in place before toppling to the ground, letting out one last groan as swirls appeared in his eyes and everything went black.

“Heiho-kun! You did it! You beat the Ninja Koopa!” Hina cheered as she ran over to Heiho and wrapped him in a hug.

“Hei-ho! Hei-ho!” Heiho nodded bashfully, blushing underneath his mask.

Jill broke the moment as she asked “So…what the hell is that thing anyway…Ah-choo!” Toko’s eyes went back to normal as she looked around and asked “Huh? What…what happened?” She turned to Byakuya and fretted “Ma…Master! Are you o…okay?!”

“Is **he** okay?! What about the rest of us?!” Hiro complained, only to be ignored by the others.

Byakuya merely patted her head and explained “We already defeated the Ninja Koopas without injuries, so everything’s fine.”

Toko closed her eyes, humming as she snuggled against Byakuya’s arm, making Hina gush “Aww, Byakuya, you really **do** have a soft side.”

Byakuya glared at Hina and pulled his arm out of Toko’s grasp, ordering “Now’s not the time for meaningless commentary. Come on, we’ve got to get out of this castle.”

“Umm…” Hiro rubbed the back of his head and pointed out “But…aren’t we going to help Makoto rescue Kyoko?”

Byakuya sighed “Stop trying to think, please. We can trust Makoto to pull off this rescue; that boy has an uncanny ability to pull off the impossible. Meanwhile, we have to clear a path to the entrance so that their escape can proceed unimpeded.”

The others nodded, following Byakuya as they made their way to the main entrance, hoping that Makoto truly could pull off a victory and rescue Kyoko.


	7. Chapter Six: Showdown with King Bowser!  The Ultimate Hope Rescues Princess Kirigiri!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having finally reached Bowser's Keep, Makoto barges in to save Kyoko from the Koopa King's clutches. Will he be able to overcome his favorite video game tyrant and rescue his beloved Princess Kirigiri?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so although we’re finally getting to the final showdown in today’s chapter, believe it or not, this is NOT the final chapter, so be sure to stay tuned for future updates. In the meantime, please read and comment below, and enjoy!

“Well, here it is…Bowser’s Throne Room…” Makoto uttered, staring with nervousness at the metal doors, each one emblazoned with an insignia of Bowser’s head. “This is it, Naegi; it’s time for you to put your life on the line for Kyoko.” 

Makoto flashed back to his execution for a split second before he shook the memory away and smiled, visualizing Kyoko’s smiling face.

“That’s right, you’ve already risked your life for her once; you can do it again! You just have to…WHOA!” Makoto exclaimed, looking down to see his tail spinning and keeping him afloat. “Okay, it looks like I’ve mastered my Racoon powers, and I’ll need them if I’m gonna defeat Bowser and save Kyoko, but right now I need to get down!”

Makoto sighed in relief as he got his fluttering heart under control, slowly descending until his feet touched the ground.

Makoto took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes, bellowing “Alright Bowser, watch out, because Makoto Naegi the Ultimate Hope is coming to kick your shell and save his Princess that you kidnapped!”

*BOOM*

Makoto kicked the doors with his right foot, causing them to swing open and reveal a metallic room, the floors decorated with scratches and scorch marks.

_What the…it looks like my room after Sayaka was murdered! Was there a fight in here? Did Kyoko get hurt?!_

Makoto’s face went white at the mental image of Kyoko’s scorched and maimed corpse, only for the terrifying thought to vanish from his mind as a frustrated grunt reverberated through the room.

 _What the…_ Makoto wondered, looking around for the source of the strange noise. At last his eyes settled on the glass case, Makoto realizing _There’s the Magenti-Star! But wait…that can’t be what’s making that grunting noise. Then what…_ Makoto looked down, his eyes widening as he saw a frustrated Kyoko, struggling to wrestle herself free from the grasp of two unidentifiable creatures.

 _Kyoko! She’s unharmed! She’s safe!_ “KYOKO!” Makoto called as he ran over to her.

“Huh?” Kyoko breathed, instantly ceasing her struggling as she turned her head to lock eyes with him. Her shocked gasp turned into a wide, beaming smile as she said lovingly “Makoto, you’re here…”, feeling her heart flutter as she thought _You came! You came to save me!_

“Kyoko…” Makoto breathed affectionately, smiling before he approached and looked down at the creatures restraining Kyoko. _Now, which of Bowser’s horrible minions is keeping poor Kyoko trapped against her will…are those…Mecha Koopas?!_

Surely enough, Kyoko was flanked by one Mecha Koopa on each side, their orange jaws ensnaring each one of her arms and keeping her rooted in place.

Predictably, Makoto grinned and exclaimed “Wow! Real Mecha Koopas, in the flesh! Or is it metal…?”

Kyoko sweatdropped, sighing internally _…And he was looking so cool too!_ An annoyed look flashed across her face as she glared at him and told him “Makoto…I understand you’re having a bit of a moment…but please, save the fanboy stuff for **after** you get me out of here!”

Makoto chuckled nervously, blushing in embarrassment as he nodded “Right…s…sorry…” 

Makoto bent his knees in preparation for jumping on the Mecha Koopa, only to be startled back into a standing position by a grumbled laugh. Makoto and Kyoko immediately turned to see Bowser sitting on his throne, obscured by the shadows.

“Gwa ha ha ha! Well, if it isn’t that little Racoon Boy from earlier. I commend you for making it this far into my castle.”

Overcoming his excited fear, Makoto narrowed his eyes and pointed to the shadowy Koopa King, demanding “King Bowser Koopa, I demand that you release Kyoko this instant!”

Bowser chuckled giddily “Heh, so you want me to set your purple-haired Princess free, is that it?” Seeing Makoto solemnly nod, Bowser leapt from his throne, landing about a foot in front of Makoto and creating a minor shockwave. Makoto felt the ground rumble beneath his feet, swaying slightly as he struggled to keep his balance. After a few seconds however, the shockwave dissipated, and Makoto narrowed his eyes and mimicked one of Kyoko’s fighting stances, making her heart flutter at how cool he looked.

“I just have one thing to say to you…” Bowser began. Makoto’s eyes widened in shock however as Bowser fell to his kneed and clasped his claws together, begging “Please, please, PLEASE take her back!”

“Huh?” Makoto uttered, baffled by Bowser’s plea. “You…kidnapped her though. You said yourself that you wanted to marry her…so why do you **want** me to take her back? What’s going on?”

 _Makoto, don’t jinx it!_ Kyoko thought as she flashed him a glare.

Ignoring Kyoko, Bowser stood up and explained “Yeah, I **did** want to marry her…but it turns out this Princess didn’t know how to get with the program and tried to beat me up!”

 _…Yeah, that sounds like Kyoko…_ Makoto thought, turning to see Kyoko’s proud smirk before he turned back to Bowser.

“So I charged at her so I could rough her up a bit and put her in her place. But then she…”

XXX

“RAWR!” Bowser roared as he and Kyoko turned around to face each other, getting up from their crouching positions after their clashing leaps.

With another bellow, Bowser charged at Kyoko, trying to slash her with his claws. Kyoko deftly dodged, flipping backwards and tucking herself into a ball before landing on her feet, making Bowser growl in annoyance and frustration. She then charged straight at Bowser, who responded by drawing his arm back and making another slash with his claws.

 _Gotcha!_ Kyoko thought as she smirked, shifting her weight in order to slide under his arm like a baseball player sliding onto home base. 

“WHAT?!” Bowser gaped, looking around for Kyoko’s agile form only to find not a single trace of her. “Grr…show yourself, wench…AGH!” Bowser yelped as Kyoko grabbed two of the pikes of his shell, using them as leverage to flip over him and kick him between his horns, causing him to topple on his belly.

Kyoko crawled on his shell and looked down at him, locking eyes with the Koopa King and smirking victoriously.

“Grr…get off me, wench!” Bowser growled, raising his arm to slash her, only for Kyoko to intercept his arm, twisting it until it was locked in her grip. “OW OW OWWWWW!” Bowser howled in pain, his other claw banging on the floor in a futile attempt to shake the Ultimate Detective off his shell.

“Do you yield?” Kyoko asked in a neutral tone despite her victorious smirk.

Shaking his head in defiance, Bowser refused “Never! I am King Bow…OWIE OWIE!”

Kyoko twisted Bowser’s arm even more, tightening her lock on it and increasing his howls of pain to deafening decibels as she hissed “Do. You. YIELD?”

Bowser started to sweat, genuinely fearful for his life as he thought _Not even Mario beat me up this bad! I’ve gotta restrain her for my own safety! But how…wait, that’s it! I normally don’t like doing this to Princesses I capture, but desperate times call for desperate measures!_ “MECHA KOOPAS, HELP!”

Kyoko’s eyebrow furrowed as she repeated “Mecha…Koopas…?”

Kyoko gasped as she felt her arms ensnared by two mechanical green heads with red googly eyes and orange spikes and jaws.

“What?! Aah!” She shrieked as the metal heads retracted, dragging her with them until they reattached themselves to small metallic bodies with green shells, pale underbellies, and orange feet.

A crackle of electricity appeared at their feet, magnetizing them to the floor and keeping her locked in place, their hold too strong for her to overpower.

“Urgh! Let go of me!” Kyoko grunted, struggling in vain against their hold as Bowser stood up. She locked eyes with the Koopa King, shooting her Kirigiri glare as she demanded “Fight fair, you coward!”

Bowser smirked and boasted “One good thing about being evil; I get to cheat a lot! You’re staying right where you are, Princess! Gwa ha ha ha!”

As Kyoko continued to struggle against her captors, Bowser turned around and let out a sigh of relief, muttering “…Marrying her isn’t gonna be worth the endless physical abuse I’d suffer at her hands. I think I’ll just give her back to that Racoon Boy and his friends when I take over the Mushroom Kingdom.” He spotted his knocked-over throne and decided “But first, I need to stand my throne back up…can’t be an evil King without an evil throne…”

XXX

“I swear, Princess Peach never kicked my shell this much when we weren’t in a Smash Tournament…” Bowser grumbled, pouting as he rubbed his still aching arms that Kyoko had twisted. _Except for that incident on Vibe Island, but they don’t need to know that…_ Bowser pointed at the still trapped Kyoko and remarked “But that purple haired demon could have killed me if I hadn’t restrained her!”

“Whoa!” Makoto exclaimed, amazed that Kyoko had been able to thrash the Koopa King so completely. _And without any power-ups to boot!_ He turned to the Ultimate Detective and asked “Kyoko…is this true?”

Kyoko gave the same smug smile that she bore when cornering one of the culprits in the class trials (and when knocking Byakuya off his high horse during Sakura’s murder trial) as she remarked “It’s not that hard to use a bulkier opponent’s size and weight against them.”

She ended with a wink, making Makoto blush and sweatdrop and he thought _…Remind me never to get on your bad side…_

Makoto turned back to Bowser who had clasped his claws in a begging position as he pleaded once more “So please! Take her back and get her out of my castle! I can’t stand the physical abuse that would result from keeping her here!”

 _Hey! Kyoko’s not abusive!_ Makoto defended in his thoughts, then shook the thought away as he realized _Calm down, Naegi, it’s not important. You know just how sweet and kind Kyoko is, and besides, he’s willing to hand Kyoko back unharmed! Don’t look a gift Yoshi in the mouth and just accept so you two can get out of here!_ Makoto nodded “Alright, alright, I’ll take her out of your castle!”

“Thank you!” Bowser sighed before turning to his Mecha Koopas and ordering “You two! Release the Princess at once and get out of my throne room!”

Kyoko sighed in relief and rubbed her sore forearms as the Mecha Koopas released her before demagnetizing themselves and walking out of the throne room.

“Kyoko!” Makoto cried as he ran over to her, embracing her in a hug, making her gasp in surprise and blush as he fretted “Are you okay?”

Kyoko beamed, returning his hug as she assured him “Don’t worry, Makoto, I’m fine. After all…” She pulled away from his hug, smiling with a slightly darker blush on her cheeks as she shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and finished quietly “…You came for me…”

A darker blush on his cheeks, Makoto returned her smile with one of his own, reaching to thread their fingers together and squeeze her hand as he suggested “Come on, let’s get out of this castle.”

Kyoko nodded, squeezing his hand as she concurred “I agree; this place is completely inhospitable, and its metallic design is incredibly dull to look at.”

 _Do you HAVE to make fun of my castle?!_ Bowser complained to himself as he walked back to his throne, sitting on it and watching them leave.

Makoto looked to her in concern and asked “Are you sure you’re okay, Kyoko? Fighting Bowser is no cakewalk!”

Kyoko smiled and ruffled his hair with her free hand, making Makoto laugh as her fingers brushed his Tanuki Ears before she withdrew it and remarked “Please, the only reason I didn’t beat him outright was because of his underhanded tactics with the sleeping gas and the surprise appearance of his minions which caught me off guard.” Kyoko smirked as she boasted “In a one-on-one fight, he’s more of an annoyance than an actual threat.”

 _That’s it! I will NOT be mocked in my own castle!_ Bowser decided as a vein pulsed in his head, the Koopa King pressing a red button on the arm of his throne.

“What?!” Makoto and Kyoko gasped as the doors closed in front of them, two metal bars extending over them and sealing them inside.

“Hey! What’s the big idea?!” Makoto exclaimed as he and Kyoko turned to face Bowser, releasing each other’s hands as their eyes narrowed in annoyance while the Koopa King snickered evilly.

“Indeed; I thought you wanted me out of your castle.” Kyoko added with a nod.

Bowser snorted as his snickering died down, explaining “That was the idea…but I won’t tolerate being made fun of in my castle! So I decided I’m going to pulverize you both instead!”

Flames blazed in Kyoko’s violet orbs as she threatened in a low voice “Release us… **now**.”

Makoto shivered as her voice matched when she was angry with him after Celeste’s death, causing him to turn to Bowser with a look of pity in his eyes as he tried to warn him “Trust me, you do **not** want to make Kyoko mad! I can tell you from experience…it’s **not** fun!”

Kyoko winced at the reminder of how unreasonable she had been with him, only to relax when Makoto flashed her a smile, reassuring her that he wasn’t upset about their falling out.

Bowser meanwhile merely snorted “She caught me off guard before with her athletic capabilities. I’ll be ready this time. Now…let’s set the stage for our battle!”

Bowser pulled a red lever on the other arm of his throne, causing the walls to disconnect from each other, falling down until they formed a hexagonal platform. Makoto stared in awe as they were surrounded by the yellow-purple glow of the sunset, with multiple spiked bombs suspended in midair just outside the confines of the platform.

Rather than be scared or shocked, Kyoko merely smirked, cracking her knuckles as she mused “I was looking forward to a rematch after he cheated in our last duel!”

 _Yeah, you could totally kick his shell, even without any power-ups…wait!_ Makoto reached into his pocket and pulled out the ? block, holding it out to the suddenly curious Kyoko and explaining “Here, Captain Toad said this would help you!”

Kyoko nodded and took the block into her hands, her brow furrowing as she pondered _It’s obviously containing some kind of power-up, but what could it be?_ Shrugging, she decided _Well, only one way to find out…_

Kyoko curled her free hand into a fist and punched the block, causing it to shatter before she held out her palm, her eyes widening as she saw a familiar brown leaf fluttering into her grasp.

_That’s the same kind of leaf that Makoto got when we first arrived here! So that means I’ll be like…_

*POOF*

Kyoko was covered in a puff of white smoke, which quickly cleared, revealing Kyoko with a set of lavender Tanuki Ears on her head and an equally lavender Racoon Tail with purple stripes sticking out from her skirt.

Makoto beamed, exclaiming excitedly “Wow, Kyoko…you have Racoon powers just like me now!”

Kyoko felt the ears on her head, then turned back to see her tail, holding it in her hand as she admired “Yes…this feels like a much more appropriate power-up for a tag-team battle.”

Both of their tails wagged in joy, only to be interrupted as Bowser leapt from his throne, landing a few feet in front of them. Again, Bowser’s weight created a minor shockwave, causing Makoto and Kyoko to hold each other’s hands to keep their balance as it subsided.

“Grr…it doesn’t matter if you two have Racoon powers; I’ll still smash you in hand-to-hand combat! Gwa ha ha!”

Kyoko got into a fighting stance, Makoto mimicking her as they watched with narrowed eyes, preparing for Bowser to make the first move, making Bowser smirked as he snapped his claw.

*WHOOSH*

Makoto and Kyoko’s eyes widened as they saw a large, white top hat fly into the room, landing on Bowser’s head. Before either of them could say anything, the top hat opened two panels on its front, revealing two large, red boxing glove arms that extended from the compartments.

As Bowser cackled, Kyoko smirked, taking it all in stride as she mused _Well, this might not be the traditional hand-to-hand combat that Grandpa Uzuchi taught me as a child…_ She looked to Makoto, who was trying so hard to keep a brave face, making her smile as she finished _…but with Makoto by my side, we can’t lose!_ “So, Makoto…you’re the expert here. How do we neutralize this **Combat Hat**?”

Makoto grinned at Kyoko and exclaimed “Wow, that’s a really awesome name for it, Kyoko! Combat Hat…it really has a nice ring to it!” Kyoko smiled, blushing at the praise, only to frown as Makoto’s brow furrowed, the boy scratching his cheek nervously as he admitted “But…I’ve never seen this before…”

Kyoko nearly fell over in shock as she thought _He…doesn’t know…?_ Kyoko gasped, placing her palm over her mouth as she asked “Are you…are you serious?!?!”

“S…sorry…” Makoto smiled sheepishly as he shrugged.

Kyoko facepalmed, muttering “…We’re screwed…”

“Hey, hey, we’re not screwed!” Makoto exclaimed, taking her hands in his own, causing her to look at their threaded hands, then up into his hopeful, green eyes. “So what if it’s new?! This whole adventure was new, but that didn’t stop us! This is no different; as long as we work together, we can beat Bowser and his new Combat Hat. We’ll beat him together, Kyoko!”

Kyoko blushed, then smiled, squeezing his hands and nodding “Yes, we’ll beat him together.”

“Ugh, are you **done** yet? All this lovey dovey sweetness is making me wanna hurl!” Bowser complained, making Makoto and Kyoko reluctantly release each other’s hands. “Alright, enough of this, prepare to be pulverized! RAWR!”

Bowser charged, preparing his Combat Hat to attack as he got closer to the loving duo.

“Kyoko, split up!” Makoto instructed, making Kyoko nod in agreement as the tips of their tails pressed against each other.

“Take this!” Bowser roared, his Combat Hat making a double jab, only for him to miss as they bent their knees and their tails bounced against each other, propelling them in opposite directions. Bowser set his eyes on Kyoko as he snarled “Alright Racoon Girl, it’s payback time for the beating you gave me earlier!”

He then ran after Kyoko, his combat hat winding up its boxing gloves and charging up before throwing a punch, only for Kyoko to smirk and gracefully dodge out of the way.

“Grr…hold still, you wench!” Bowser demanded, pursuing the Racoon Detective as his Combat Hat launched punch after punch at her, only for her to consistently evade his blows, though she could still feel the rush of wind as the gloves barely missed her.

Kyoko frowned as she thought _He may be slow, but that Combat Hat is incredibly powerful. If I get hit even once, I’ll lose much more than just my new Racoon Powers!_

Makoto watched from a distance as Kyoko was forced to play defense, panicking “What do I do, what do I do?! As long as Bowser has that hat, Kyoko won’t be able to fight back! If only I could just kick it off…wait…kick…Now I understand!” As Bowser continued to chase after Kyoko, Makoto ran up behind the unsuspecting Bowser, using his tail as a springboard to launch himself above Bowser, flipping into a downwards diagonal kick as he bellowed “RIDER KICK!”

“HUH?!” Bowser turned around and exclaimed, wide eyed as Makoto kicked his Combat Hat off his head., landing at the far end of the platform.

Makoto beamed, jumping up and down as he cheered “YES! I DID IT!”

Kyoko flashed a proud smile towards him before Bowser snarled “Oh, you think you’re so clever, don’t you? Sneaking up behind me like a coward and kicking off my Combat Hat…”

 _Big talk coming from the coward who doused us with sleeping gas and called for reinforcements when he couldn’t beat me…_ Kyoko deadpanned.

“…well, if I can’t punch you into a Racoon Pancake, I’ll just let gravity do the job and scrape you off later! TAKE THIS!” Bowser roared, jumping up before smashing his feet down on the ground, creating a shockwave that forced both Racoon Ultimates off balance, causing Kyoko to fall with a pained grunt before shakily standing up, though Makoto, standing right at the edge of the platform, wasn’t so lucky.

“Whoa…whoa whoa whoa…WHOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Makoto yelled as he fell off the platform, disappearing into the clouds below as he hurtled towards the ground to his death.

“MAKOTOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Kyoko yelled, tears in her eyes as she rushed to the edge of the platform, staring over the precipice and praying that he had landed on something that had broken his fall, only to fall to her knees in despair as she saw only a Makoto-shaped hole in one of the clouds below. “Makoto…”

Bowser smirked and laughed “GWA HA HA HA! I told that kid he was no Mario!”

Kyoko sniffled, tears trickling down her cheeks and onto the platform as she cried “Makoto…” _I…I never even got to tell you…that I love you…_

“…You’re right Bowser; I’m not Mario.”

“WHAT?!” Bowser and Kyoko exclaimed, looking up with flabbergasted expressions as Makoto smirked, hovering just outside the perimeter of the platform as he looked at them with a hopeful smile as he crossed his arms.

“I am Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Hope!”

Kyoko’s flabbergasted expression morphed into a joyous, beaming smile, tears of joy trickling down her cheeks as she gushed _Makoto…you’re alive! And you’ve really come out of your shell! You’re wearing your Ultimate Hope title with pride, and you’re exuding an unshakable self-confidence that you didn’t have when we faced Junko! Oh, Makoto…I think I’ve fallen even more in love with you than I thought possible!_

Kyoko wiped the tears from her face before Bowser roared “So what if you learned how to fly? I can still roast you like a Cucco!”

“Makoto, watch out!” Kyoko called out as Bowser charged up a fireball, then launched it in Makoto’s direction, making Kyoko sigh in relief as he expertly dodged it.

“You can’t dodge my fireballs forever!” Bowser taunted as he continued to launch fireball after fireball at the Racoon Ultimate Hope.

Kyoko would have bitten her nails in anxiety if it weren’t for her gloves as she watched Makoto continue to dodge the barrage of fireballs, Makoto thinking _Alright, I can dodge his fireballs now, but that’s only half the battle. I need a plan to counterattack, but what…wait, is that…_ Makoto’s eyes widened as he saw Bowser’s Combat Hat just sitting there, realizing _I’ve got it!_ Dodging one more fireball, Makoto called out “Hey, Kyoko!” As Kyoko stood up, he asked “Can you keep him distracted? I’ve got an idea!”

Kyoko nodded, glancing around the platform as she pondered _Alright, I need to get Bowser’s attention, but how…wait…_ Kyoko’s eyes widened as she saw some loose scraps of metal lying around from her earlier duel with the Koopa King. _That’s it!_

“Grr…hold still Racoon Boy so I can Roast…OW!” Bowser yelped as a small ball of metal hit him in the back of the head, snarling as he turned around to see Kyoko smirking, tossing another small ball of metal up and down with her tail in a taunt. “You wench! Alright, you asked for it! RAWR!”

Bowser charged at Kyoko, baring his claws in an attempt to slash her into ribbons, only for her to expertly dodge as she thought _Makoto, whatever you’ve concocted, hurry up!_

 _Thanks, Kyoko!_ Makoto thought gratefully as he flew down to the platform, picking up the White Combat Hat and thinking _Well, here goes nothing!_ before putting it on his head, his eyes widening as he instantly realized how to use it. _It’s like wearing a mech with user friendly controls! Bowser, thanks for using a weapon that’s so easy to understand! Alright, now to go help Kyoko!_

XXX

“GWA HA HA HA!” Bowser cackled as Kyoko found herself cornered at the edge of the platform, sweating in nervousness.

 _What do I do? I can’t go anywhere, and I can’t fly yet; I’m completely trapped!_ Kyoko bit her lip as she pleaded _Makoto, if you’re gonna be the hero and save me, now would be the time!_

“GWA HA HA HA! Prepare yourself, Racoon Girl, as I roast you before I do the same to your bo…OW!” Bowser groaned in pain as he demanded “What…who did…oh no…”

“Makoto…” Kyoko breathed, smiling as Makoto stood in front of her, smirking as he wore Bowser’s Combat Hat, the right boxing glove retracting after smashing Bowser’s jaw.

“No…no wait…don’t…OW OW OW OW OW!” Bowser yelped as he found his soft belly under barrage by his own Combat Hat, Makoto launching punch after punch at the terrified Koopa King. With one final smirk, Makoto wound up the right boxing glove one more time, making Bowser’s eyes bulge in fear as the glove made contact with Bowser’s belly, making him yell “GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” as he felt the wind get knocked out of him, the Koopa King flipping as he was sent flying, landing on his bruised belly in the center of the stage.

Seeing Bowser let out one last groan of pain, Kyoko smiled, sighing in relief “At last, it’s over. Good work Mako…Makoto?”

Kyoko stood there baffled as she saw Makoto toss aside the Combat Hat and run to the fallen Koopa King, the Ultimate Detective asking “Makoto, what are you doing?” as he grabbed Bowser’s tail.

Makoto turned to Kyoko and called out “Kyoko, we still need to throw Bowser into one of those spiked bombs! Can you give me a hand? I’m not strong enough to do it by myself!”

Kyoko’s brow furrowed in confusion as she pointed out “But, Makoto…you’ve already won! What’s left to be gained by throwing him around?”

“Yeah, listen to the girl!” Bowser groaned, complaining “Haven’t I been beaten enough already as it is?”

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the Koopa King, making him gulp and sweat in fear as she uttered “…On second thought…” Kyoko smirked as she strode over to Makoto, grabbing the base of Bowser’s tail as she asked “So, how do we throw him?”

Makoto nodded “We just have to spin him by his tail in a circle until we build up momentum. Then we let him go so that he flies into one of the spiked bombs.”

“No…please…” Bowser whimpered.

“Alright, let’s do it.” Kyoko nodded.

“Alright, on three. One, two, THREE!” Makoto instructed before they lifted with all their might, swinging Bowser round and round in a circle.

“PLEEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEE!!!” Bowser begged as he grew nauseous from motion sickness as they continued to spin him faster and faster.

“Okay, NOW Kyoko!” Makoto called out, making Kyoko nod and release the Koopa King, making him cry in terror as they sent him flying straight towards one of the spiked bombs.

Kyoko smirked, snorting “Good riddance!”

“So long, Gay Bowser!”

“What?!” Kyoko breathed, looking at Makoto incredulously as she processed his last line. _I…don’t even know what to make of that…_

“THAT’S **NOT** WHAT HE SAID!” Bowser complained.

*BOOM*

The tip of the spiked bomb punctured Bowser’s belly, making the device explode in a shower of red and yellow fireworks and send Bowser hurtling back toward the stage. At last, he landed right in front of them, groaning in pain as he landed on his shell.

Makoto cheered, his lips stretched from ear to ear in a beaming smile “YES! WE BEAT BOWSER!”

Kyoko nodded “Yes, we did, though…” Kyoko turned to Makoto and asked “…Why did you call Bowser gay? Didn’t you say that he always tried to abduct Princess Peach? And I clearly remember him trying to get me to marry him.” Makoto and Kyoko shivered at the mental image before she continued “So I think we can clearly deduce that he’s not homosexual. Given the evidence, what reason would you possibly have for calling him gay?”

“Oh, well…” Makoto scratched his cheek, smiling bashfully as he explained “I saw an old Youtube clip of the boss fight with Bowser in Super Mario 64, and when Mario threw him, it sounded like he said **So long, Gay Bowser**.”

Kyoko sighed “I see, that’s disappointing…” She pinched the bridge of her nose and told him “…Makoto, I told you before not to believe everything you see on the internet.”

“S…sorry…” Makoto nodded sheepishly, making Kyoko smile as she ruffled his hair and Tanuki ears in a reassuring gesture.

Suddenly, a low groan made their respective Tanuki Ears twitch, making them turn to the fallen Koopa King. Their eyes widened as they saw Bowser struggle to stand before they narrowed, getting into battle positions again, only to sigh in relief as Bowser fell into a sitting position, a defeated sigh escaping his jaws.

“I can’t believe it…losing to those faucet freaks Mario and Luigi over and over again is embarrassing enough. But now I get my shell kicked by two Racoon Teenagers?! This is humiliating…”

Makoto scratched his cheek nervously and pointed out “Actually, we’re nineteen…” His brow furrowing, Makoto turned to Kyoko and asked “We…are nineteen, right? Sorry, it’s just this whole **lost memory time skip** thing is starting to make me confused about my own age…”

Kyoko nodded understandingly and summarized “We believed we were seventeen when we entered Hope’s Peak Academy, and Junko and Mukuro took away two years of our memories. Seventeen plus two is nineteen, so yes, that would make us nineteen.”

“Whatever, like it makes a difference…” Bowser moaned as he drew his knees up to his chin and rested his face on them, wrapping his arms around his legs. “I’ve been beaten by Mario and Luigi time after time…and even Peach beat me on Vibe Island…what’s the point of going on? I’ll never take over the Mushroom Kingdom and I’ll never marry Princess Peach! There’s nothing left for me…nothing left but despair…”

Makoto’s eyes softened, starting to feel sympathy for the evil King as he turned to Kyoko and murmured “Kyoko, we’ve gotta cheer him up!”

 _I was afraid of this…_ Kyoko sighed and pointed out “Makoto, he uses his army to commit mass home invasion and kidnapping on a regular basis, he stole our Magenti-Star, and he kidnapped me and tried to force me to marry him! Are you seriously considering giving the antagonist a pep talk?!”

Makoto nodded seriously pointing out “Kyoko, as survivors of the Tragedy, we know first-hand what it means to fall into despair. **Nobody** deserves to feel like that, not even someone as evil as Bowser.”

Kyoko’s expression softened, marred with indecision as she considered Makoto’s point, reflecting on how she had fallen into despair before Makoto pulled her out of it.

 _That was the worst day that I can remember…if Makoto hadn’t helped me back there, we’d be trapped in the school forever, and he would be dead. But still…_ Kyoko retreated into her old habits as she asked “Have you ever heard the phrase **You reap what you sow**?”

“W…well, yeah, but still…”

“…You really are naïve, you know that? It’s really quite appalling…” Kyoko sighed, accepting “Go ahead, do as you wish. I won’t try and stop you if you feel this is what you need to do…”

Makoto nodded, smiling apologetically before turning to walk over to Bowser, patting his shell before Bowser moaned “…What? You already beat me fair and square, so just take the damn Magenti-Star and get out of my castle!”

Makoto shook his head and insisted “King Bowser, you can’t just wallow in despair. You may think you have nothing, but you have so much more than you realize!”

Kyoko smiled proudly at Makoto as Bowser looked up at him, a slight spark in his eyes as he listened intently, curious about what Makoto meant.

“You have an army of minions who believe in you so much, they’re willing to overthrow an established monarchy for you. You’re a great Dad to eight, really tough Koopalings! And where I come from, there are a lot of people who think you’re awesome, me included!”

Bowser looked up at Makoto, asking “…Why are you trying to make me feel better?”

“Because he’s Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Hope…” Makoto and Bowser turned their heads to see Kyoko smiling proudly at Makoto as she explained “He confronts despair wherever it goes, and he does his best to befriend anybody and everybody, so that they will never be corrupted by despair.” _…One of many reasons why I love him so much…_

At last, Bowser smiled, chuckling “Keh…who knew I’d be affected by such cruddy sentimentalism…” Bowser slowly got to his feet, deciding “But, you’re right! I’m in charge of a great kingdom, my kids are super awesome, and I’m practically a household name! I never realized how lucky I am!” Bowser closed his eyes and pondered “Still…it’s about time I stopped using my privilege to destroy. Perhaps it’s time I turned over a new leaf…er…shell…”

 _Well, what do you know? He even convinced an evil King to switch to the side of hope…_ Kyoko mused as she and Makoto stared at Bowser incredulously.

_I don’t believe it…Bowser being a good guy?! Well, I guess it’s not **totally** unheard of…maybe…_

*Dum dum dum dum DUUUUMMMMMM*

“Huh?” The trio exclaimed as the strange new tune got louder and louder. “What…what is that?” They wondered before their eyes widened at the sight of a white and blue airship flying closer and closer until it came to a stop at the side of the platform, four human-sized, cartoonish, white rabbit-like creatures standing on the deck, all of them dressed in fancy clothing.

“This…this defies all logic…” Kyoko uttered, unable to keep the shock out of her voice.

Makoto nodded with a similarly baffled expression “Same here; I’ve never seen any of these guys in the Mario games before…”

Bowser meanwhile pointed a claw at the unknown rabbits and demanded “Alright, who are you, and why are you docked at my castle?!”

One of the rabbit creatures, wearing a green suit and top hat, removed said top hat and bowed, apologized “Our apologies for not calling first, but the phone number on your order form was out of service, so we had to visit you personally to confirm the details.”

“Order form?” The three of them wondered, confused by the rabbit’s words.

The rabbit nodded as he put his top hat back on and introduced “That’s right. My name’s Topper, and we’re the Broodals, professional wedding planners.”

“Wedding Planners?!” The trio exclaimed, Makoto and Kyoko blushing as they looked at each other before averting their gaze.

Bowser closed his eyes and rested his chin in his claw, deep in thought until his eyes opened in realization, exclaiming as he snapped his claw “Now I remember! I read about their services in a magazine, and called in 1988 to plan a wedding between me and Princess Peach, but I had to be put on a waiting list for my reservation.”

Makoto’s eyes lit up as he turned to Kyoko and explained “That was the year that Super Mario Bros. 3 was released in Japan.”

Kyoko nodded in understanding as Topper confirmed “That’s right; as head of Client Relations, please accept my sincerest apologies for not keeping you updated, but we had a **very** long waiting list that year. But, if you’d still like our services, we are able to take your reservation now. We’ll even make this absolutely free, as an apology for the multi-year wait. So…is Princess Peach still the bride?”

Makoto and Kyoko looked to Bowser, who after a second of intense pondering, laughed “GWA HA HA HA! Yes, Princess Peach is still going to be my blushing bride!”

 _…Why am I not surprised…?_ Makoto and Kyoko sweatdropped as Bowser eagerly boarded the Broodals’ airship before being immediately circled by the Broodals, the four creatures working faster than Makoto and Kyoko’s eyes could follow. _They’re…very efficient…_ The two lovers concluded as the Broodals stepped back, revealing Bowser’s groomed red hair and new white tuxedo.

“GWA HA HA HAA! Not bad! I’d say the wait was worth it!” Bowser praised, making the four Broodals beam with pride before another Broodal dressed in a purple dress sauntered off the ship, approaching Makoto and Kyoko before handing them a business card.

“You two look like a cute couple! The name’s Hariet, and I’m in charge of any and all pyrotechnics. Here, take my business card.”

Kyoko hesitantly nodded, taking the business card and looking it over, confused as she asked “What…what is this all about?”

Hariet giggled and winked “Oh silly, I’m giving you our contact information so that if you ever decide to get married, just give us a call and we’ll personally fit you in for a wedding. I’ll even jump you two up the list since you look so cute together, especially with those boots of yours!”

“Th…thank you…” Kyoko murmured, she and Makoto blushing as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her human ear, fantasies of a white wedding playing through their minds before they shook the thoughts from their heads.

Harriet giggled “Oh, you lucky Racoon Girl, you! You’re dreaming of it already, aren’t you? I can tell by the look in your eyes. And you, you’re having the same thoughts, aren’t you, little Racoon Boy? Come now, no need to be embarrassed; it’s natural. Well, just give us a call when you’re ready!”

With one last giggle, Hariet hopped over to the discarded Combat Hat and picked it up before hopping back over to airship. She then tucked her knees and hopped high into the air before slamming the Combat Hat back on Bowser’s head.

Bowser grinned before looking down at Makoto and Kyoko, saying “Well…Makoto, was it? Thanks for the pep talk, but I’ve been waiting for the day I marry Princess Peach for years and I’m not going to pass it up now that I can finally claim my reservation! But, as a gesture of gratitude…” Bowser clapped, deactivating the case holding the Magenti-Star, causing it to fly into Makoto’s hands as the Koopa King told him “You can have that back.”

Confused, Makoto asked “…Why are you giving this to us?”

Kyoko nodded “Indeed; you spent minutes babbling on and on about how you were going to use it to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“GWA HA HA HA! I don’t need that stupid rock anymore, now that I’m gonna marry Peach!” Bowser pointed up at the sky and proclaimed “This is a wedding that’s gonna go straight to the moon, baby!”

Bowser cackled as the Broodals steered the airship away from Bowser’s Castle, the ship disappearing along the horizon along with Bowser’s laughs.

“…It looks like they’re headed towards Toad Town…that’s probably where Mario and Princess Peach are right now…”

Kyoko nodded, looking over to Makoto who still held the Magenti-Star in his hands before asking “…Should we go help them?” Smiling knowingly, Kyoko reasoned “I imagine it’s probably been your childhood dream to meet Mario and the Princess…”

Makoto chuckled before closing his eyes, mulling it over before shaking his head and rejecting as he opened his eyes “No…I have a feeling that this is one adventure Mario will need to do on his own.”

Kyoko nodded “I see…” She then smiled before finishing “Well, I’ll trust your judgment then and pray for Mario to have good luck on this new Odyssey.”

Makoto nodded before looking down at the Magenti-Star in his hands, smiling as he suggested “…Well, we beat Bowser and got the Magenti-Star back…what do you say we meet up with the others? I really need to thank them; they kept the Koopalings off my tail so I could find you.”

Kyoko smiled and nodded “Yes, that’s a good idea. Makoto, I’m…glad that I have more friends than just you that I can depend on to come to my rescue…” Kyoko’s smile turned into a grimace as she confessed “…even Byakuya and Toko…”

“Right…just one question…how long is this new rivalry between you and Toko gonna go on for?” Makoto asked hesitantly.

“Until she knows her place…” Kyoko responded without missing a beat, flames burning in her eyes.

 _…Shouldn’t have even asked…_ Makoto thought, regretting the question. _…But I guess there’s not much I can do except leave them to settle things on their own…_

“Anyway…” Kyoko started as she turned around, staring at the door as she pondered “…how do you propose we get out of here? Bowser barred the door during our fight, and defeating him didn’t activate any unlocking mechanism I would think would be present in video games.”

Makoto smirked as he put the Magenti-Star in his pocket before threading their fingers together and stating simply “Then we’ll just have to fly down to meet them!”

_F…fly…FLY?! Th…that’s suicide! We have no idea how long Makoto can stay airborne, and I haven’t even figured out how to fly yet!_

Kyoko shook her head vigorously, only to slow to a stop as she made the mistake of looking into Makoto’s gentle green eyes, becoming entranced in their hopeful warmth.

“Do you trust me, Kyoko?” Makoto asked as he used his free hand to reach down and stroke Kyoko’s tail, making her purr and smile.

“…Always…”

XXX

*WHOOSH*

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Kyoko screamed with her eyes closed, unable to contain her terror as they fell through the clouds, the two of them plummeting after having stepped off the platform together. _We’re gonna die, we’re gonna die, WE’RE GONNA DIIIIEEEEEE!_ _Huh?_ Eventually, she felt the wind lessen in severity, her clothes and tail no longer flapping in the wind as she opened her eyes and exclaimed “Ma…Makoto…you’re…you’re flying!” as she saw Makoto’s tail rotate like a propeller.

Makoto smiled warmly, squeezing her hand as he told her “I’m never gonna let you fall, Kyoko, I promise!”

“Ma…Makoto…” Kyoko felt her heart flutter as she smiled at him, feeling safe and secure as he squeezed her hand.

“Come on, let me show you how fun it is to fly!”

“Hold on, Makoto, let’s…EEEEEEKKKKKKK!” Kyoko screamed again as Makoto started to move them through the sky, swaying them back and forth. _I’m gonna die I’m gonna die I’m gonna…_

Makoto squeezed her hand, making her turn to Makoto with wild eyes, her Ultimate Hope staring into hers and smiling at her panicked face, silently assuring her _It’s okay, I’ve got you, I’ve got you…_ Kyoko took a deep breath, feeling her panic ebb away as Makoto repeatedly squeezed her hand.

“That’s better…now, don’t worry about the ground, Kyoko. Pretend it’s not even there, okay? Just focus on me, and relax, okay?”

Squeezing his hand, Kyoko reluctantly nodded, allowing herself to relax as she let Makoto guide her through the sky, the Luckster taking care not to do anything too fancy so as not to startle her any more than she already was. Kyoko looked up at Makoto, admiring him as the setting sun reflected off his adorable face. The longer she stared at him, the more she felt her fear dissipate, swiftly replaced by the fluttering in her heart as she thought of Makoto.

“It’s good to see such a carefree smile on your face…” Makoto commented as he saw a pure hearted smile tug on Kyoko’s lips.

Kyoko nodded at him, then stared out at the horizon and admitted “Yes…I suppose I am smiling…how could I not be? This is amazing! Flying like this…it feels like my whole body is fluttering…”

“That’s good, because it’s the flutter in your heart is what’s keeping you afloat right now.”

“Huh…?” Kyoko’s eyes widened as she saw Makoto smiling in front of her, no longer touching her hands. _Wait…if he’s in front of me, then…what’s keeping me from…_ Kyoko felt the wind currents under her get stronger as she finished _falling…_ “EEEEEEKKKKKKKK!” She shrieked as she plummeted through the clouds again, Makoto diving after her and catching her in a hug before he slowed their descent.

“Kyoko, Kyoko, it’s okay! I’ve got you, I’ve got you!” Makoto breathed into her ear as Kyoko hyperventilated, his calming voice allowing her to get her breathing back to normal and snap out of her panicked state.

“…Makoto…why did you let me go when you knew I couldn’t fly?!”

“Because you **were** flying, Kyoko!”

“Huh?” Kyoko uttered as she and Makoto glanced to her still tail.

Makoto smiled and explained “Captain Toad told me that in order to fly, you need to think of something that makes your heart flutter. I don’t know what you were thinking about before, Kyoko, but you **were** flying. I saw your tail spinning and your joyful smile; that’s how I knew it was safe to let you fly on your own.”

_I…I was thinking of you, Makoto…that’s what made my heart flutter. So…as long as I consciously think of you…then…I can fly?_

Kyoko took a deep breath, imagining Makoto’s smiling face and how happy his smile made her. Soon enough…

*Whirl*

“Huh?” She looked behind her, seeing her lavender and purple tail spin underneath her, making her beam excitedly as she gasped “Ma…Makoto…I…I’m doing it!”

Makoto nodded, grinning as he asked her “That’s right, you’re flying on your own, Kyoko. Are you ready to let go of me?” Makoto felt Kyoko squeeze him tighter, anxiety still in her eyes, making him smile as he reached up and petted her purple Tanuki Ears, making her purr and loosen her grip as he assured her “You’ll be fine; I’ll **never** let you fall. But I know you can do it, Kyoko!”

Feeling herself become reinvigorated with his hope, Kyoko nodded, reluctantly letting go of him as she hovered a foot away from him, her Racoon Tail keeping her afloat. Kyoko stared down, an awe-filled smile stretching from ear to ear as she exclaimed “I’m…I’m doing it…I’m flying on my own!”

“That’s right, Kyoko; you’re flying on your own!” With a sigh, Makoto reluctantly suggested “…Ano…should we head down to meet the others now?”

Kyoko shook her head, grinning as she giggled “No; now that I know how to fly, I want to spend some time with you!”

Makoto grinned, nodding as he and Kyoko leisurely flew through the clouds, giggling at the rush that was rushing through their bodies as their hearts fluttered as high as the clouds above them.

“I’m really having fun!” Kyoko giggled as she flew above Makoto. “I can’t believe it, but I’m actually having fun!”

Makoto smiled as he exclaimed “I’m glad you’re having fun; you really deserve it after…hey!”

Kyoko circled to Makoto’s right, pulling just a little ahead of him before she looked back at him with a cheerful smile and teased “Chase me.”

Seeing Kyoko wink at him, Makoto smirked and accepted “Oh, I’m **so** gonna get you!”

“Good luck!”

“Hey, you’re talking to the Ultimate Lucky Student! And get back here!”

Makoto and Kyoko laughed as the continued to fly through the sky, performing all sorts of spins and loops as Makoto tried to catch up to her, Kyoko turning her head and blowing an occasional raspberry to tease him. This little game continued until eventually Makoto tackled Kyoko into a bear hug.

“Gotcha!”

“Hey!” Kyoko giggled, her heart filled with glee as their game came to an end. She wrapped her arms around him as he pulled them upright, hovering in place as she exclaimed “This has to be the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life…” Kyoko’s grin widened even more as she admitted “…and also the most special, Makoto! I’ll never forget how you rescued me and taught me how to fly!”

 _…It’s time I told her…_ Makoto resolved as he stared at Kyoko’s beautiful smile, grinning lovingly as he cradled her cheeks in his hands, making her blush as he told her “…I think I can top that.”

“H…how could you possibly top this? What could be more special than flying in the sky…mmph!” Kyoko’s eyes widened in shock as Makoto softly claimed her lips with his own, thinking as her cheeks turned red _Oh…oh kami! Makoto…Makoto’s kissing me! He’s really kissing me!_

Kyoko closed her eyes, cradling his cheeks in her hands and returning the soft caress of his kiss with one of her own, making them both moan as they caressed each other with their love, making their hearts flutter even higher than ever before and helping them to fly to cloud nine.

At last, the Racoon lovers separated, their cheeks flushed rose as they rested their foreheads against each other and stroking each other’s cheeks with their thumbs as they smiled lovingly at each other.

 _Don’t just float there; tell him you love him, Kirigiri!_ Without a single doubt in her mind, Kyoko told him “You were right; this **definitely** tops flying. Thank you for that, Makoto. I…I love you, Makoto.”

“I love you too, Kyoko!”

They both floated there, staring into each other’s loving eyes for a good few minutes before Kyoko reluctantly broke the tender moment, reluctantly suggesting “We should…probably go meet up with the others now…”

Makoto sighed, lamenting _…Well, it was nice while it lasted…_ before reluctantly nodding, the two of them threading their hands together before controlling the fluttering in their hearts to slowly and safely descend where their friends were waiting for them.

XXX

“Hey look! It’s Makoto and Kyoko!” Hina exclaimed pointing up at the sky.

“Hei-ho!” Heiho cheered as they saw the falling forms of Makoto and Kyoko descend in front of them, brown and purple tails slowly spinning underneath them.

“And look, they match!” Hiro pointed out.

“Yoshi!” Yoshi cheered in agreement with Hiro.

“Well, they certainly took their time…” Byakuya commented.

“Y…yeah…how dare they keep us wa…waiting…” Toko complained as Makoto and Kyoko finally touched the ground, their tails coming to a stop before wrapping around each other, creating a beautiful fuzzy double helix of brown and purple.

 _…They finally confessed their feelings for each other…_ Everyone thought as they saw the faint traces of blush on Makoto and Kyoko’s cheeks

“H…Hey guys? Thanks for waiting for us!” Makoto greeted, waving with his free hand while Kyoko merely nodded.

“Oof!” Makoto and Kyoko grunted as Hina ran up to them, tackling them both in a hug and exclaiming “Oh, Kyoko, we’re so glad you’re safe!” She stepped back as she let them go, smirking as she teased “And you even have matching tails and ears! And you’re holding hands to boot! Oh, you two look so cute together!”

“H…Hina…” Makoto objected, his and Kyoko’s embarrassed blushes returning before they reluctantly let go of each other’s hands, their tails unwrapping from each other and hanging loosely behind them.

Hiro cheered “You guys totally got together, didn’t you? Makoto, great job manning up and confessing, dude! Of course, I already predicted it before we left!”

Their blushes intensified, causing their faces to turn red as tomatoes before they shook it away, smiling at each other before Kyoko turned to Toko, a neutral frown on her face as she greeted “Fukawa.”

“Kirigiri.” Toko greeted back in equal tone, making Makoto and Byakuya sigh in exasperation.

Turnign to the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, Makoto walked up to him with a gloating grin on his face and boasted “See, Byakuya! I told you that Super Leaf could make me fly!”

“Very good Makoto, do you want a cookie?” Byakuya asked sarcastically, only for his eyes to widen as Makoto held out his hand expectantly.

“Damn right I want a cookie! That fight with Bowser made me hungry!”

As if on cue, Makoto’s stomach growled, making Makoto blush and smile bashfully as Hina, Heiho, Hiro, and Yoshi laughed at the exchange while Byakuya and Toko couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

“Hey!” Hiro yelled as he was knocked off Yoshi’s saddle, the green dinosaur tackling Makoto to the ground and licking his face affectionately with his tongue.

Makoto laughed “It’s good to see you too, boy! Okay, okay, I get that you’re happy to see me! Enough with the kisses!”

As Yoshi got up and backed away, allowing Makoto to stand up, the Racoon Luckster’s eyes widened in shock as he heard Kyoko ask “What am I, chopped liver? Hey!” Kyoko giggled as Yoshi licked her cheek a few times, makign the others smile at the scene.

“You must really like Yoshi now if you asked for him to greet you with kisses, Kyoko!” Makoto teased, making Kyoko tuck a strand of loose hair behind her human ear as she reluctantly nodded.

Byakuya coughed into his fist, getting their attention before he said “As…amusing as this conversation is…there’s one thing we need to take care of.” He turned to the two Racoon Lovers and asked “Makoto, Kyoko, did you two procure the Magenti-Star, or do we have to storm the castle again?”

Luckily, the group was spared a collective groan of frustration as Makoto smiled and reached into his pocket, withdrawing the Magenti-Star, it’s magenta color sparkling in the sunset as he nodded “Yep; we won it from Bowser after we defeated him.”

Byakuya nodded “Then perhaps it’s in our best interests to return to Princess Peach’s Castle so we can finally go home.”

The others nodded, mumbling statements of agreement before Makoto pocketed the Magenti-Star again and consented “Yeah, but first…” Makoto smirked before turning to Kyoko, tapping a finger on the forehead before running off, exclaiming “Tag, you’re it! Race you back to the castle!”

Gaping in shock, she quickly morphed her expression into a confident grin, calling as Makoto leapt up into the sky “Oh, you’re on, Naegi!”

With that, she dashed into a running start before leaping up into the air, her tail spinning as it rocketed her up into the clouds.

“Hey!” Makoto exclaimed, the two of them laughing as she tackled him, the two of them zipping through the clouds as they flew, still wrapped in their embrace.

After a few seconds they separated, Makoto managing to get some distance as Kyoko tailed him, their jubilant laughter echoing in the others’ ears as the loving Racoon couple zipped off into the sunset.

“Aww, they look so cute, being all playful like that…” Hina’s eyes widened as she pointed at the clouds, exclaiming “Hey, look!”

The others followed her gaze, their eyes widening as they saw the words “Makoto ♥ Kyoko” written in the sky.

“…Showoffs…” Byakuya muttered.

“I think it’s adorable!” Hina disagreed, making Byakuya pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

“We need to get back to the castle so we can go home. Good thing this Warp Whistle is a two-way trip…” Byakuya muttered as he took out the Warp Whistle, blowing into it before a cyclone materialized around them, enveloping the group before vanishing along with its passengers.

XXX

After arriving at Peach’s Castle and having one last meal in the Mushroom Kingdom courtesy of Captain Toad, the six survivors of Class 78th stood outside, bidding farewell to their new friends.

“Farewell, my subjects.” Byakuya said to the tearful Goombas, explaining “Your King must regrettably relinquish his crown so that he may return to his homeland and rebuild his former empire and make it become even more powerful than it was before.”

Toko nodded, agreeing “You were al l…loyal su…subjects…”

Blinky nodded, crying “Good luck, your Majesty! We Goombas will cheer you on from here!”

“Long live Goomboss Byakuya! Long live Goomba Queen Toko!” The four Goombas chanted, making Byakuya and Toko smile forlornly.

Hina meanwhile was kneeling before Heiho, her arms wrapped around him in a bear hug as his mask lay on the ground, wanting to say goodbye to his new friend without hiding behind his mask.

“Goodbye, Heiho-kun! I’ll miss you, when we’re back in our world! But I’ll always remember you and treasure getting to know you!”

“Same here, for serious!” A now fully grown Hiro agreed, having consumed a Super Mushroom gifted by Captain Toad to restore him to normal size.

The Ultimate Clairvoyant grinned despite his sadness at having to leave the little Shyguy, as he was determined to send his new friend off with a smile.

“Hei-ho! HEI-HO!” Heiho cried, sobbing into Hina’s shoulder as he was overcome with sadness at having to separate from his new friends.

Even though her own tears were still trickling down her cheeks, Hina smiled, patting Heiho’s back as she soothed while reaching down to offer Heiho his mask “There, there…”

As Heiho put his mask back on, Makoto turned to Kyoko and tried pleading one last time “Ano…Kyoko…everyone looks really sad to say goodbye, and friends shouldn’t have to leave each other like this! Can’t we just bring them with us?” 

Makoto gave Kyoko his cutest puppy-eyed stare as he begged “Pretty please? With a cherry on top?”

 _…Always thinking of others…that’s just like you, Makoto. You know I hate having to deny you anything, and I don’t want to say goodbye to any of them either. But…_ Logic overcoming sentimentalism, Kyoko’s soft smile turned into a frown as she pointed out with a sigh “…Makoto, where would we even put an army of sentient mushrooms, a little hooded man in an opera mask, and a green dinosaur?”

A twinge of guilt shot through Kyoko’s heart as Makoto’s shoulders slumped, sighing “…Okay, I understand…” _Plus…as much as I don’t want to believe it…there’s a chance that Junko was telling the truth about the state of the world. And if that’s true…_ Makoto gazed at their new friends as he realized _…I’d be sentencing them to death if we took them with us…_

“Yooooshiiiii….” Yoshi whined, nuzzling Makoto with his snout.

Makoto smiled sadly at Yoshi, caressing his snout as he cooed “I’m sorry, Yoshi, but you heard Kyoko; we can’t take you with us. I’m really going to miss you, but I’ll always remember you whenever I play my video games.”

“Yoooshhiiiii…” Yoshi muttered sadly before turning to Kyoko and nuzzling her with his snout.

Kyoko sighed, allowing a small smile as she laid a kiss upon Yoshi’s snout, making him blush as she admitted “…I’ll…miss you too…thank you for allowing me and Makoto to ride on your back.”

“Yoshi!”

“Hey! Alright, enough kisses, Yoshi!”

Makoto smiled as Kyoko continued to receive goodbye kisses from Yoshi, then turned to Captain Toad, who was currently holding the Magenti-Star, and requested “Ano…can you promise that you’ll take good care of him?”

Captain Toad nodded with a smile, vowing “For everything you’ve all done, it will be my pleasure! And I’m sure Mario and Luigi and Princess Peach will love to have him around.”

Makoto smiled, nodding in gratitude before Byakuya sighed “Well, let’s get started, or we’ll never be able to leave.” 

Everyone else nodded somberly and assembled into a tight-knit circle. 

Makoto and Kyoko held hands and twirled their tails around each other. Toko hung onto Byakuya’s arm as he allowed her to lean on him. Meanwhile, Hina and Hiro walked over to stand between the two new couples. Captain Toad wordlessly held the Magenti-Star above his head, causing it to sparkle as it floated, twirling in the air as it circled around the survivors, bathing them in a magenta light that gradually got brighter and brighter, eventually blinding them before dissipating, taking the Magenti-Star and the survivors with it.

“Goodbye Makoto, Kyoko, Byakuya, Toko, Hina, Hiro…we’ll miss you…” Captain Toad nodded before turning around, encouraging “Come on everyone; let’s turn in for the night in the castle.”

With somber nods, Yoshi, Heiho, Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde followed Captain Toad into the castle, already missing their friends.


	8. Chapter Seven: Wrong World!  A New Nintendo Adventure!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Class 78th reappears, only to find they were instead taken into the world of Hyrule! What crazy antics will ensue in the homeland of the Legend of Zelda?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter Seven of Super Danganronpa Bros, commissioned by NotFanFicNet. Please read and comment below, and enjoy!

A bright, magenta flash interrupted the tranquil atmosphere before it vanished as quickly as it came, leaving six oddly dressed teenagers in its wake. Still dazed, the ragtag group took a moment to get their bearings before they looked around at the grassy fields and bright blue sky.

“Um…this doesn’t feel quite right…” Hina observed with a frown.

“Y…yeah…this isn’t Ja…Japan!” Toko scowled as she questioned “Wasn’t that Ma…Magenti-Star supposed to take us h…home?”

Byakuya’s brow furrowed as he nodded “I concur…that Captain Toad told us that the Magenti-Star would take us back home.”

Kyoko shook her head and interjected as the Magenti-Star floated into her hands “He may have told us it had the power to take us back home, but he never specified how its mechanics function.”

Hiro scratched his head before suggesting “Umm…maybe we’re supposed to undergo a spiritual journey and complete a series of quests before we can go home?”

Byakuya scoffed “Please, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Stop trying to think, you plebian.”

“Y…yeah!” Toko agreed, pointing at the Ultimate Clairvoyant as she exclaimed “Stop wasting Master’s time, you i…idiot soothsayer!”

“IDIOT SOOTHSAYER?!”

His eyes now narrowed in annoyed anger, Hiro proceeded to argue back against Toko and Byakuya, their discussion quickly devolving into a chaotic, unintelligible mess. Hina sweatdropped while Kyoko sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before trying to stop the pointless argument.

“All of you, just…”

“STOP!”

“What?!” Kyoko gasped as she and the others turned to Makoto, whose face was red with anger as he hyperventilated, his Racoon Tail whipping uncontrollably as he struggled to get his anger out of control.

Toko clutched onto Byakuya’s arm as Hiro’s teeth chattered in fear while the three of them stared at the unusually angry Makoto. Meanwhile Kyoko and Hina shared a concerned expression as they tried to reconcile this rather Mondo-like Makoto with the lovable dork they had come to know and treasure.

 _…I haven’t seen him this angry…since we saw that Lakitu in Bob-omb Battlefield…_ Kyoko thought as she reflected on their past adventure. _…And I don’t like it…_ She took a deep breath and hesitantly approached “Makoto…my love…are you…”

Makoto took a deep breath, interrupting Kyoko and making them brace themselves for another lashing out by Makoto, only to sigh in relief as Makoto smiled, the red gone from his face as his tail came to a stop and he apologized “Sorry guys, but we can’t afford to be fighting amongst ourselves! We need to figure out where we are.”

 _…I’m feeling emotional whiplash…_ The others deadpanned, sweatdropping at Makoto’s emotional one eighty.

Sighing, Kyoko turned to Byakuya and pointed out “We should listen to Makoto…” She smirked as she finished “…unless you prefer to waste a Togami’s time with pointless banter.”

Toko seethed _Oh, that little Ra…Racoon Girl! How dare she…then again…arguing with Hiro would be a waste of time._

Kyoko’s eyes narrowed in annoyance at Toko’s silence, her Racoon Tail standing stiff in a threatening pose. Meanwhile, Byakuya looked at Makoto’s encouraging smile, then to Kyoko’s annoyed face, and finally to Toko’s determined glare that she was shooting at Kyoko.

Eventually Byakuya sighed and relented “Very well…we do have better things to do than get into pointless arguments with plebians.”

As Hiro pouted, Hina suggested “Okay, so…we just have to find out where we are, right? Why don’t we just follow that dirt road over there?” As the others followed Hina’s pointing finger and observed the winding dirt road, she continued “It probably leads to some kind of town, and we could ask around for information.”

Makoto nodded “I agree; we need all the information we can get.”

As Byakuya, Toko, and Hiro mumbled in agreement, Kyoko smiled “Okay, then we’re all in agreement?” She then laced her fingers with Makoto and took the lead, gently tugging her Racoon boyfriend along as she urged “Alright, let’s go then, Makoto.”

“Wha…hey!” Makoto yelped as she tugged him along.

The others sweatdropped before Hina smiled in amusement and walked to catch up to them, the Racoon couple now walking at a leisurely pace. 

“Okay, let’s go! Adventure awaits!” Hina cheered, leading Makoto and Kyoko to smile in amusement before giving each other blushing smiles, their tails wagging as the trio continued to walk.

Byakuya and Toko turned to each other, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy still grabbing his arm as the former Affluent Progeny suggested “Let’s follow along, my dear.”

Byakuya smiled warmly, making Toko smile and blush as they hurried to catch up to their friends. Hiro meanwhile brought up the rear, pouting and grumbling to himself as he hurried to catch up.

XXX

“So? What happened when you two confessed?! Give me details, Kyoko!” Hina grinned, begging excitedly “Come on, pleeeaaaassseeeee? I supported your relationship since the beginning!”

_“Good luck, Makoto! Girls like her are total pushovers when you show a little backbone!”_

Kyoko blushed, smiling at the memory as she agreed “Very well…I suppose it can’t hurt to give you a few details. We had just defeated Bowser and gotten back the Magenti-Star when Makoto suggested we fly down to the surface.” Kyoko fiddled with her braid with her free hand as she admitted “…I was…nervous, but Makoto convinced me to trust him and he taught me to fly before kissing me. He really was like my knight in shining armor…”

“Aww, that’s so CUTE!” Hina gushed, stars in her eyes as Kyoko giggled, feeling her heart flutter at the memory. “Oh, Kyoko, you’re…kind of hovering…”

“What?” Kyoko breathed, looking down to see that her Racoon Tail was spinning, propelling her just above the ground. 

Hina and Makoto tugged on Kyoko’s arms, helping her back to the ground as she focused on restraining her more joyful and loving emotions.

Once her Racoon Tail had come to a stop, Kyoko blushed in embarrassment at Hina and Makoto’s concerned expressions as she muttered “…Apologies for that…it seems I’ve yet to master my new abilities.”

Makoto smiled understandingly as he assured her “Hey, it’s okay, Kyoko! I don’t blame you for being happy; you deserve to feel happy enough to flutter!”

“Yeah, he’s totally right, Kyoko! Congratulations again; you two are totally made for each other!”

As Hina winked, Kyoko blushed, muttering “Th…thank you…”

“So…can I hear more details? I wanna know more about how Makoto helped you to fly!”

Kyoko blushed, keeping her fluttering heart under control as she smiled, relenting “Sure…now, I was really scared when we plummeted through the clouds, but he held my hand through it all and kept his promise not to let me fall. I felt so safe in his arms…”

 _Uh, girls…you know I’m still here, right?_ Makoto deadpanned, blushing as Kyoko continued to recount the memory of their romantic moment.

Makoto averted his gaze in an effort to distract himself from Hina and Kyoko’s “girl talk” before his brow furrowed as he saw Byakuya and Toko whispering too each other, their exact words just quiet enough to be unintelligible to Makoto’s Tanuki Ears.

 _I wonder what they’re talking about…_ Makoto wondered as he tried to imagine what they were talking about. _…On second thought…I don’t think I want to know…_

He looked away from the couple, frowning in concern as he saw Hiro trailing behind them with his arms crossed, pouting and muttering under his breath.

 _That’s odd…why does Hiro look so grumpy? Something’s wrong; I’d better go help him…_ He turned to Kyoko and Hina and told them as he reluctantly let go of her hand “Hey, I’m gonna go check on Hiro; he seems kinda down and it just doesn’t feel right to leave him in a sour mood…”

Her brow furrowed in worry, Kyoko offered “Would you like me to come and help?” _And keep an eye out in case Hiro tries anything uncouth? I know he’s no Junko…but I still don’t want anything to happen to my little Racoon Boy if I’m in a position to stop it._

Seeing through Kyoko’s real motive, Makoto shook his head and smiled, explaining “No, I think I’ll be okay. And besides, Hiro’s our friend; nothing’s gonna happen just by talking. And like I said, I don’t want to see any of my friends feeling upset, so I need to do what I can to help him feel better.”

Hina nodded “I agree, believe it or not. Hiro was an unusually big help. Technically, he defeated Captain Wart and Mouser, and he was really helpful in the battle against the Ninja Koopas.”

Kyoko nodded, persuaded by the assurances from both her boyfriend and best friend as she smiled lovingly at Makoto, cooing “Oh Makoto…you really are too pure for us…” and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, making their Racoon Tails wag out of love.

Just as Makoto was enjoying the moment, Kyoko broke off the kiss, smiling as she consented “Go help him…my love…”

Makoto and Kyoko blushed before he nodded, forcing the blush away before turning around and walking past Byakuya and Toko, ignoring their whispered gossip and over to Hiro.

“Hehehe…my love…? Who knew you could be such a romantic, Kyoko?” Hina teased, giggling as Kyoko sighed in embarrassment before focusing on the dirt road ahead, marching ahead without another word as she dealt with Hina’s barrage of teasing about her and Makoto’s newfound romantic relationship.

XXX

“AH!” Hiro yelped, jumping in the air before turning to glare at Makoto, who sweatdropped after Hiro’s overreaction to being tapped on the shoulder.

“S…sorry, didn’t mean to startle you, Hiro.” Makoto chuckled in apology as Hiro held his hand over his heart and steadied hid breathing. Once Hiro nodded in acceptance, Makoto asked “…Are you doing okay, Hiro?”

Hiro crossed his arms, pouting for a minute before dismissing Makoto “Umm…doesn’t matter.”

“It **does** matter, Hiro.” His eyes widening, Hiro turned to face Makoto, who was smiling as he continued “You’re my friend, and I hate seeing my friends down in the dumps. So if you’re feeling upset, I want to help you feel better, because your feelings matter, Hiro.”

Hiro stared into Makoto’s eyes, making the Racoon Boy shuffle uncomfortably at the attention as Hiro seemed to be searching his soul for the truth. Eventually, Hiro nodded, accepting Makoto’s sincerity as he sighed and began to explain himself.

“I just…I wanted to be helpful by thinking of why we were brought here…and I genuinely thought that a journey to multiple worlds was why we weren’t brought back home, and that it would be meaningful…until Byakuya and Toko called me stupid. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut from now on.” Makoto stared at Hiro, making the Ultimate Clairvoyant groan internally _Great…even Makoto thinks my idea is stupid…I shouldn’t have said anything at all…_

To his surprise, Makoto grinned excitedly, exclaiming “That sounds amazing, Hiro! It’d be so cool if we got a chance to explore other worlds!”

_You…you actually think my idea is cool?! The only person who thought my ideas were cool…was my Mom!_

Hiro barely held back his tears as he gained a newfound appreciation for Makoto’s friendship before nodding and replying with a smile “Yeah, you’re right! Going on a quest to different worlds will be a really rewarding experience, like how you and Kyoko got together or how everyone else got a cool power-up!”

Makoto cocked his head in confusion, his Tanuki Ears twitching as he pointed out “But Hiro…you…ano…you didn’t get anything out of the Mushroom Kingdom…no gold coins…even your power-up was neutralized by that Super Mushroom you ate at dinner.”

Hiro laughed “Well, yeah, it’s true that I never got to find any sunken treasure in Water World, and you guys all got cooler power-ups than me, but at least I’m back to my normal size again. Plus I got something even more valuable than all that…knowledge!”

Makoto’s brow furrowed as he asked “What…what do you mean, Hiro?”

Hiro smiled and asked “Do you remember when Captain Toad asked what you were talking about when you mentioned the Mario games?”

Everyone else turned around, staring at Hiro as his remark had suddenly captivated their attention. Makoto nodded, the two oblivious to everyone else’s curious stares as Hiro continued his explanation.

“Well, um…it reminded me of something I read in a book when I was first learning clairvoyance…The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tarot and Fortune Telling.”

 _…Of course you did…That book was made for you…_ Everyone deadpanned before shaking the thought away, their curiosity undeterred by Hiro’s choice in instruction manuals.

Makoto chuckled before asking “So…what did you read in it that our conversation about Mario games reminded you of?”

Hiro rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and confessed with a chuckle “That’s the thing…um…I’m still trying to remember…” 

Everyone except Makoto and Hiro fell over, making them turn around as Makoto greeted “Oh, hi guys. Were you listening in on us?”

The four eavesdroppers let out a collective groan as they stood up, nodding as they lamented _Hagakure, you **almost** had something interesting to say and you ruined it!_

Shrugging, Makoto turned back to Hiro and offered with a smile “Well…when you do remember it, please tell us. I’d love to hear what it was you remembered.”

Hiro grinned and nodded “You bet, Makoto! As soon as I remember, we’ll talk about it over some brewskis!”

 _…We’re still not old enough to drink, Hiro. And there’s no alcohol that we can see…_ Everyone else deadpanned.

Nevertheless, Makoto smiled, nodding and taking the lead, walking down the dirt path as Kyoko walked next to him and Byakuya, Toko, Hina, and Hiro brought up the rear.

Makoto turned his head to look at Hiro as he told him “You know, it’s funny you mentioned video games, Hiro…”

Cocking his head in confusion, Hiro asked “Umm…why’s that, Makoto?”

Kyoko, Hina, Toko, and Byakuya’s brows furrowed in concern as they thought _Oh no…please don’t tell me…_

Makoto turned his head so that he was facing the road as he walked ahead of Kyoko and the others, explaining nonchalantly “Well…these open fields are reminding me of another video game series I played as a teenager…”

The other five Ultimates stopped in their tracks, Makoto oblivious to their shocked expressions as he continued to happily march ahead, humming a nostalgic tune while his friends shuddered _Oh no, not again!_

XXX

The survivors looked up as they reached the end of the dirt road, staring at a towering, gray castle with blue tips on top of its towers. The others then turned to Makoto, frowning as they saw a familiar expression of confused excitement lighting up his face.

 _I was afraid of this…_ The others dreadfully deadpanned before Kyoko cleared her throat and decided to voice their collective thoughts.

“…I take it you know where we are, Makoto?”

Makoto turned to face them, grinning as his tail wagged excitedly and he exclaimed “You bet! We’re in Hyrule!”

The others sweatdropped before Byakuya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and pointing out “Makoto, we need more information. Obviously this is a location in another one of your video games, but whatever it is, we haven’t played it.”

“Right, s…sorry…” Makoto apologized, chuckling before explaining “Hyrule is a major Kingdom in the Legend of Zelda series.”

“So…it’s just like Super Mario Bros.?” Hiro asked.

Makoto shook his head and insisted “No, it’s not just like Super Mario Bros. The Legend of Zelda is a series of adventure games with swords, monsters, magic, puzzles, and saving the Princess.”

Everyone sweatdropped, staring at Makoto’s progressively excited expression before “Hina asked “So…it’s just like Super Mario Bros.?”

Makoto groaned, facepalming as he thought _No, Hina! I JUST said it’s not like Super Mario Bros!_

Seeing her boyfriend’s frustration and feeling her memories jog a little, Kyoko offered “…I think I can translate what Makoto’s trying to tell us.” Everyone looked at Kyoko curiously before she explained “The Super Mario Bros. games have a complete fantasy setting with platforming action, while the Legend of Zelda has a medieval focus that has puzzle solving and role-playing elements.”

Byakuya, Toko, Hina, and Hiro nodded in understanding while Makoto looked to his girlfriend in surprise and asked “Kyoko, have you played the Legend of Zelda before?”

Kyoko shook her head and denied “No, though I just remembered a case where I had to go undercover and apprehend a killer who was a big fan of Role-Playing Games, so I know the basics.”

Byakuya touched his finger to his cheek in contemplation as he urged “I see…well then, tell us more about this Legend of Zelda.”

Kyoko nodded, explaining “The main protagonist of the Legend of Zelda is a man named Zelda who must rescue the Princess of Hyrule from the villain…”

“Ehehehehe…”

“What…?” Kyoko trailed off, turning to see Makoto’s palm over his mouth in a futile attempt to muffle his snickering. _He…he’s **laughing** at me?!_ Kyoko’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, her Racoon Tail standing up straight in a threatening gesture as she demanded “And just what is so funny, Naegi-kun?!”

Makoto finally stopped snickering, removing his hand to reveal an amused grin as he apologized “I’m sorry, it’s just…you were **almost** right, but you got the name of the hero wrong, that’s all. It’s a common mistake for people who don’t play the games to make.”

“What?!” Kyoko gasped, her eyes widening before she frowned and demanded “…Elaborate.”

“R…right…” Makoto explained “See, Zelda is the name of the Princess, and the hero of the game is a boy in a green tunic named Link.”

_I see…it **has** been some time since that case, so I suppose it was possible I misremembered one of the details…but he still didn’t have to laugh at me!_

Kyoko pouted cutely, crossing her arms over her breasts and turning her back to Makoto and the others.

Makoto sweatdropped, thinking _She’s cute when she gets all pouty like that…but I shouldn’t have laughed at her. I made her mad, and I don’t like it when she’s mad, especially when I’m the reason for it._ Makoto shivered as he recalled _That fallout over Sakura’s betrayal was torture enough; I don’t want a repeat, EVER. I’d better go apologize and make things right…_

Sighing, Makoto walked up to her and rested his hand on the tip of her tail, making Kyoko gasp as Makoto petted her tail, stroking down to the base and back to the tip rhythmically.

_Oh, kami…Makoto’s…petting my tail…but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still mad at him!_

Seeing that Kyoko was still refusing to look at him, Makoto apologized “Kyoko…my love…”

 _…Can’t you at least call me your Princess…?_ Kyoko huffed to herself, slowly melting like butter as Makoto continued his apology.

“I’m sorry for laughing at you. I shouldn’t have done that; your mistake was an understandable one and not one I should have laughed at. I’m sure if I had a misconception about your Detective work, you wouldn’t have laughed at me for it. So…forgive me?”

 _…Maybe I’m being too unreasonable with him; he apologized and admitted he was in the wrong…plus feeling him pet my tail just feels so goooooddddddd…_ Kyoko relented, purring as she finally turned her head to face him, smiling as he smiled back, continuing to caress her tail as she nuzzled her head against his shoulder.

Makoto smiled lovingly at the return gesture, hearing her purrs intensify as he took the opportunity to scratch behind her Tanuki Ears with his free hand.

Byakuya ignored Makoto and Kyoko’s tender moment as he looked up towards Hyrule Castle, commenting “Well…I don’t particularly care which one of Makoto’s video game worlds we ended up in…but this Hyrule Castle certainly appears more majestic than Princess Peach’s Castle in the Mushroom Kingdom.”

Toko nodded, concurring “I a…agree…this castle would fit much better in my s…stories than Peach’s Ca…Castle…” as she entered another one of her fantasies, feeling her surroundings start to fade away into a completely different reality.

XXX

Toko sat upon her throne as Byakuya kneeled before her asking “My beloved Hammer Princess, would you honor me with a romantic picnic in the garden?”

Toko smiled excitedly and nodded “I would love to, Fire Prince Byakuya”, before clapping her hands. 

Kyoko immediately walked in, wearing a white dress, which was obscured by a black apron dress with a spider web design on her right breast and the right side of her gown, as well as a black lace headdress, black gloves, black tights, and grey pinwheel shoes with white laces. Her Tanuki Ears stood erect as she waited for her orders. 

“Servant Kyoko, prepare the royal picnic basket.”

Kyoko nodded, bowing as she replied “Yes my Princess. I, plain, boring, and not as pretty as you are, Kyoko, will do your bidding.”

She then turned around, her Racoon Tail gently swaying as she left the throne room.

As Toko got off her throne and Byakuya stood up, she cooed “Come, my Prince, favor me with a kiss.”

*SNAP*

“Enough!”

“Huh? Kyoko?!”

XXX

“Wh…what?” Toko wondered as her fantasy faded away, the world of Hyrule fading into view as she looked at Byakuya confused.

To her surprise, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny wasn’t looking straight at her, causing her brow to furrow as she wondered _Wait…isn’t Ma…Master the one to snap me out of my fantasies? But…if he’s not even paying attention to me, then who…oh no…_

Following Byakuya’s gaze, Toko hesitantly turned around, dread on her face as she saw Kyoko’s eyes narrowed in her standard Kirigiri glare, annoyance and a hint of anger flashing in her eyes.

“Let me give you some advice… **don’t** bring me into your perverted fantasies.”

Toko glared, pointing at Kyoko and stammering “Sh…shut up you stupid Ra…Racoon Girl! At least in my fantasies, you’re more to…tolerable to be around! I don’t know what Ma…Makoto sees in you…”

“What did you say?!” Kyoko demanded in a low, threatening voice, her face red with fury as steam erupted from both sets of ears.

Makoto and Byakuya both began to sweat in fear; though Makoto was angry at Toko for insulting his girlfriend, he still wanted to avoid any fights within the group. For Byakuya’s part, he could feel Toko’s hand gripping his arm tighter, and didn’t want to be dragged into a catfight with her newfound rival.

 _Though a fight between her and the Racoon Detective would be amusing to watch…_ Byakuya admitted to himself.

In the end, neither of the two boys needed to interject, as Hiro asked Makoto “So, um…Makoto…what else can you tell us about this Legend of Zelda stuff?”

Their curiosity won out as they broke off their feud, turning to face Makoto and Hiro as the Racoon Luckster hummed, musing “Well, I’m not sure which information is relevant; I’d need to know what timeline we’re in.”

“Timeline?” Everyone else repeated, baffled by Makoto’s confession.

“Yeah, most Zelda games take place in separate timelines, with only a handful of games being directly connected to each other. Like, Zelda II is a sequel to the original Legend of Zelda, A Link Between Worlds is a sequel to A Link to the Past, Majora’s Mask is a sequel to Ocarina of Time, and Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are sequels to the Wind Waker.” 

Seeing their confused expressions, Makoto chuckled before turning to the castle and looking up at the tallest tower.

“Anyways, the best way I can discern what timeline we’re in, is to find out which Princess Zelda is here.”

“Makoto! Come back here!” Kyoko called as Makoto jumped into the air, his Racoon Tail quickly spinning like a propeller as he flew up into the sky. Kyoko sighed, facepalming as she muttered “…That boy…” before focusing on the flutter in her heart that she felt around him, letting it propel her into the sky as she gave chase.

XXX

“Let’s see…Princess Zelda, Princess Zelda…” Makoto muttered as he circled around the tallest tower, exclaiming as he got to the top “Aha, a balcony! And…” Makoto’s eyes widened as he spotted a human figure sitting nearby, exclaiming “Yes, Princess Zelda! Now, to get a closer…wah!”

Makoto yelped, feeling a tug on the hood of his hoodie. He turned around only for his eyes to widen in shock as he saw Kyoko’s scolding expression, her gloved hand firmly grasping the fabric of his hoodie.

“Oh, Kyoko…”

“Don’t go around doing whatever you feel like. It causes problems. And not just for me. For everyone.”

Makoto bit his lip and hung his head, apologizing “S…sorry…I just…got really curious about what timeline we ended up in, and couldn’t help getting carried away trying to do some reconnaissance.”

Kyoko frowned sympathetically, sighing as she admitted “…I understand how you feel…I am a Detective after all, so I understand the temptation to take the initiative and learn more about your surroundings.” Makoto looked up at her hopefully as she relented with a soft smile “Well, since we’re already here, let’s go meet the Princess, shall we? After all, we never got to meet Princess Peach back in the Mushroom Kingdom, so we might as well see an actual Princess.”

Makoto smiled gratefully, which then morphed into a sly smile as he leaned forward until his breath tickled her lips, the Racoon Luckster cupping her cheeks in his palms as he whispered “Thank you, my Princess…” before pressing his lips to her own in a soft kiss.

Kyoko’s eyes widened before she moaned, surrendering to the kiss as they moved their hands to the sides of each other’s heads, reaching to scratch behind their respected lover’s Tanuki Ears. They purred into each other’s mouth before Makoto reluctantly broke off the kiss, pulling away from his girlfriend. Kyoko was in a lovesick daze, a dopey grin on her face as her purple eyes had morphed into anime hearts.

 _She looks so adorable!_ Makoto thought as he floated next to her and laced their fingers together, the Racoon Detective giggling as they floated closer to the balcony, observing a young brown-haired woman with a regal dress. 

Purple around her torso and white around her gown, with white gloves that extended to her elbows, the mysterious woman’s eyes were closed as she sat deeply in contemplation.

“I think I know where we are now…” Makoto whispered to Kyoko, shaking her shoulder to bring her out of her lovesick daze as he exclaimed under his breath “Kyoko, we’re in the Twilight Princess timeline.”

“I…I see…” Kyoko mumbled, shaking the hazy feeling from her mind as she focused on the Princess, her brow furrowed as she warned “Makoto…I have a bad feeling about this Princess Zelda.”

“Huh?” Makoto’s brow furrowed in confusion as he wondered “What do you mean Kyo…ano, Kyoko? Are you okay?”

Kyoko’s eyes were widened in fear as she shakily pointed in front of them. Makoto ruined his head, gasping as he saw that Princess Zelda was now standing up, staring at them with an almost dead look in her brown eyes.

 _What the…what’s going on?_ Makoto wondered, shaking with the same fear as Kyoko as he realized _Something’s off about Princess Zelda…but what…_

“You shouldn’t be here…”

Before either of the Racoon Lovers could react, Princess Zelda stretched out her hand, causing a ball of golden light to form in front of her palm before it flew straight at them, heading for…

“Makoto, look out!” Kyoko cried, taking his hands and tugging him so that her back was turned to the projectile, her body shielding him as she cried out “AGH!”

“Kyoko…agh!” Makoto cried out, both of them falling unconscious as they felt the light envelop them, blinding them to their surroundings.

XXX

“Oww…my head…” Kyoko groaned, her eyes fluttering open as and brought a hand to rest between her Tanuki Ears, feeling a dull headache.

“Urgh…Kyo…Kyoko…”

“Ma…Makoto?” Kyoko asked, her vision finally coming into focus as she stared into Makoto’s gentle, yet shocked green eyes, their Tanuki Ears twitching in sync as they focused on each other. “Wh…where are we? And what happened?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but I’d say we’re somewhere in Hyrule Fields, outside the Castle. Princess Zelda must have transported us somewhere with a magic spell.” 

Kyoko hummed as she mused _Well…I don’t feel any pain, despite being hit by that ball of light energy, so it must not have been lethal…_

He frowned as he asked worriedly “Are you okay, Kyoko? You took a direct hit from Princess Zelda’s spell.”

Kyoko nodded “I’m fine, just a little disoriented, that’s all.” Kyoko frowned as she looked into his worried eyes and asked in a worried tone of her own “What’s wrong, my love? Are you hurt?”

Shaking away the blush that threatened to form, Makoto assured her “I’m fine, Kyoko. But…why did you shield me like that? You could have gotten seriously hurt if that spell had been lethal!”

Kyoko averted her eyes as she answered “…I was just…protecting you…” She sighed and tried to drop the subject “Anyway, we’re fine, so it doesn’t matter…”

 _IT DOES MATTER! YOU ALMOST THREW YOUR LIFE AWAY!_ Makoto opened his mouth to object, only to utter “…Huh…?” as he felt a rather soft, squishy substance in his palm. “What am I…” Makoto wondered as he gave the mystery texture an experimental squeeze.

Kyoko shuddered in pleasure as she realized “W…wait…Makoto, you’re touching my…”

“Your…” Makoto’s gaze wandered down to his hand, blushing with widened eyes as he saw his palm was directly against the peak of her breast, his fingers curled around the curve of her bosom. “Ah!” Makoto yelped as he quickly scrambled off of her, Kyoko reflexively crossing her arms over her breasts, hanging her head to hide her embarrassed blush as she bit her lip.

_I get that it was an accident; worst case scenario, Makoto’s Ultimate Luck just allowed him to cop a feel. But…are we ready for that? We only just confessed our love the other day! I know that he got to sneak a peek at my panties when I had trouble controlling my Bunny Powers…but are we ready to be…touching each other…?_

Makoto meanwhile hung his head and apologized “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to squeeze your breast, I swear! It was an accident, and I’ll make sure it never happens again! You mean too much for me to disrespect your body like that Kyoko, and I’m sorry! I’m SO SORRY…”

“Eeheheheheheheee…”

“Huh…?” Makoto trailed off, looking up to see Kyoko giggling, her curtain of lavender hair obscuring her expression from view.

“Wh…what’s so funny?!” Makoto demanded “I violated you! I touched your…you know…when I didn’t have permission to! So why are you…?”

Kyoko finally stopped laughing, looking up at him to reveal an amused smile as she explained “I’m sorry, Makoto, I shouldn’t have laughed at you…but you’re just so **cute** when you over apologize like this.” Makoto stared at Kyoko, dumbfounded before Kyoko explained “I get it was just an accident, and I’m not going to stop loving you because you got to cop a feel, okay?” 

She crawled over to him, reaching to cradle his cheeks in her palms as she told him “One day we’ll take that step together and see and feel all of each other, but for now, let’s just enjoy being lucky in love, okay?”

Makoto gave a relieved smile, wagging his tail as he nodded “Y…yeah…” He then frowned again and apologized “I’m still sorry for touching your breast without your permission…”

Kyoko smiled slyly and teased “…I’m not…”, giggling at Makoto’s blush.

*Grumble Grumble*

“Hm?” Kyoko wondered as both their Tanuki Ears twitched, the Racoon Detective standing on her feet and turning around to see a group of green, troll like creatures approaching them, red eyes narrowed at them as they made unintelligible utterances.

“Makoto…” Kyoko asked warily “…What are these creatures? They don’t look anything like the Mushroom Kingdom…” _Indeed, they look much more threatening than any of the monsters we encountered over there…_

Standing up, Makoto answered “…They’re Bokoblins; think of them like the Goombas and Koopa Troopas of this world.”

Kyoko nodded, asking “…And how difficult are they in a fight?”

“Well…they’re not tough one-on-one, but if they surround you, obviously they’re more of a challenge…” Makoto explained, gulping as he thought _But how are we gonna fight them? I doubt our Racoon Powers are gonna be enough…if only we had some kind of blade…_

Kyoko meanwhile narrowed her eyes, stepping in front of Makoto with her arms spread protectively, not letting her nervous fear show as she tried to formulate a strategy while the Bokoblin group marched over to them, clubs raised in preparation for battle. Makoto’s teeth chattered, his Racoon Tail waving around erratically in fear as one of them let out a battle cry, only for a giant, orange hand to smack them aside, losing consciousness as they slammed against a nearby boulder.

“Huh?!” Makoto and Kyoko exclaimed, the Racoon Detective’s eyes widening in shock while releieved excitement was painted on Makoto’s face.

_A giant orange hand…that means…_

Makoto’s thoughts were confirmed as a black and grey wolf trotted forward, snarling as a black and pale-blue imp wearing a rustic black helmet that exposed her red eye rode him, grinning at them and exposing a single fang.

_I was right! It’s Midna! Midna riding on Wolf Link! This is the coolest thing ever!_

Kyoko sweatdropped at Makoto’s fanboyish grin before Midna giggled, catching their attention as she patted Wolf Link on the head, commenting “Those pests sure like to take a beating, don’t they? Well, all the more fun for us, eh boy?” Wolf Link growled before she stretched her arms into the air, shrugging “Ah, who asked you? Anyway, as much fun as it is to beat up Zant’s minions, we have better things to do.” She then floated off of Wolf Link and ordered “Oh, Link, do me a favor and finish off your prey. Consider it your treat for being so helpful in that last temple.”

 _Wait, Link? Did she just call her pet wolf **Link**?_ Kyoko wondered as Wolf Link let out a growl before leaping towards the group of unconscious Bokoblins, baring his fangs as he proceeded to tear them apart limb from limb, their blood staining the grass crimson.

As Kyoko turned away from the carnage in front of her, she saw Makoto staring at Midna with a familiar, excited smile, causing Midna to frown and demand “And what are you looking at, shorty?”

Snapping out of his fanboy attitude, Makoto chuckled and apologized with a bow “S…sorry. My name’s Makoto Naegi and this is…”

Midna waved him off, turning cheekily away from him and dismissing him “Yeah yeah, sorry shorty, but I don’t really have time for introductions.” Kyoko pouted in anger at Midna as Wolf Link trotted up to her, nuzzling Midna and making her giggle as she patted his snout and praised “Good boy, Link, getting rid of those big, bad Bokoblins for me.”

Wolf Link rolled his eyes as Midna flipped in the air, landing on his back and making him grunt, turning his head back to the imp and glare at her.

She then looked over at Makoto, who excitedly smiled at her, then to Kyoko whose pouting expression was offset by the confusion dancing in her eyes.

“Hey, shorty!”

“Huh?” Makoto asked, curious as Midna winked at them.

“You and your girlfriend make a cute couple, and unlike Link over here, you look kind of cute. If only he had a girl to take care of him, he might not look so mangy…” Midna sighed, shrugging “…Oh well, guess I’ll just have to keep doing it.”

Makoto and Kyoko sweatdropped while Wolf Link face-pawed, letting out something akin to a groan before rolling his eyes at Midna’s giggling insults. He then stared at the Racoon Luckster as their respective female companions looked at the two, wondering what they were thinking about.

“H…hi there, Link…” _…You and I…we’re kindred spirits, aren’t we…?_ Makoto thought, smiling as he nodded and realized _You have something important to do, just like we do…_

Wolf Link nodded, giving something akin to a smile before yelping as Midna tugged on his blue earring and urging “Alright, Link, enough, dilly dallying, we have work to do.” As Wolf Link shook his head and trotted ahead, Midna turned her head and called back “Farewell shorty!”

“Good luck!” Makoto called back, the Racoon Luckster greeted with a wolf’s howl as Wolf Link and Midna vanished from sight. He then turned back to Kyoko and commented with a smile “Well, we might not have gotten to meet Mario, but we did get to meet Zelda and Link!”

Kyoko’s brow furrowed as she asked “That reminds me…isn’t Link a human man?” Seeing Makoto nod, Kyoko asked “Then why did that imp call her wolf **Link**?”

“Oh, in Twilight Princess Link can change into a Wolf.”

“Ah…” Kyoko nodded “I get it…” _…I think…stupid, unpredictable video game logic…_

“Hey?!”

“Huh?” Makoto and Kyoko gasped as they turned around, seeing Hina, Byakuya, Toko, and Hiro running up to them, Hina bringing up the front as she waved at them, smiling. “Hina…oof!” They grunted as Hina tackled them into a bear hug.

“There you guys are! We’ve been so worried about you! After you guys didn’t come back from the castle, we decided to search the perimeter!”

Byakuya sighed before scolding “You really are a handful…you’re lucky you two are an integral part of our group or we would have just left you behind.”

“Hey, don’t be mean!” Hiro defended “I’m sure the little dude just wanted to experience another video game world from his childhood and got excited.”

Makoto chuckled sheepishly, scratching his cheek as he admitted “…Actually…I didn’t start playing the Legend of Zelda until I was twelve.”

“What?” Kyoko gasped, thinking _With how excited you were, I was under the impression that you had been playing these games all your life!_

Makoto smiled and nodded “Yeah, I started when my Dad got me an old Nintendo 64 with Ocarina of Time. It wasn’t until I was thirteen that I got a Wii and played Twilight Princess.” Stars appeared in Makoto’s eyes as he gushed “That’s my favorite Zelda game of all time!”

Everyone else sweatdropped as Makoto shook himself out of his fanboy mode and turned to Hiro, thanking “Thanks for sticking up for me Hiro, but Byakuya and Kyoko are right; I shouldn’t have just run…er, flown off.” He bowed and apologized “Sorry, everyone.”

Kyoko smiled at Makoto’s maturity with pride as Byakuya stared at him before sighing “…At least Kirigiri knocked some sense into you. Just be sure to stay with the group from now on.”

“Yeah, it’d be a p…pain to lose track of you guys…” Toko muttered, making Makoto smile knowingly at the couple.

 _Byakuya and Toko may be a bit harsh at times…but they really do consider us friends…_ He then saw Kyoko and Toko glare competitively at each other, causing him to sweatdrop as he amended _…maybe not all of us…_

Hiro gave him a thumbs-up, while Hina cooed “Aww, I could never be mad at you for that, Makoto!”

Makoto suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, making him turn to see Kyoko smiling at him. 

As he returned her smile, Kyoko felt a rumbling in her jacket pocket, making her wonder “Hm?” as she fished the Magenti-Star out of her jacket.

The survivors watched as the Magenti-Star floated above Kyoko’s palm before circling above them, causing them to huddle close without another word as it let out faint magenta pulses, enveloping them in a similarly colored light.

 _Finally, we’re going home…hopefully…_ They all thought as the land of Hyrule gradually disappeared.

The blinding light and the feel of Kyoko’s arm and tail wrapping protectively around him make Makoto flash back to the moment when Kyoko took the brunt of Princess Zelda’s spell.

_Kyoko thought that her spell was going to hurt, or even kill us, but her first instinct was to take the brunt of it for me. Was…was she willing to sacrifice herself for me? What does this mean?!_

Any further thoughts on the matter were silenced as they and the Magenti-Star disappeared, leaving only a peaceful Hyrule in its wake.


	9. Chapter Eight: Another Class Trial?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The MAgenti-Star finally takes the Class 78th Survivors back home, but not everything is as it seems, as they land in the iddl eof another Class Trial, with Monokuma and Junko to boot! Are they in another Killing Game?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter Eight of Super Danganronpa Bros. Please read and comment below, and enjoy!

_“All of those events took place within a fictional world known as Danganronpa.”_

_“I told you that ain’t happenin’, you dumb sea urchin-headed…wait, that’s me!”_

_“Well duh! It’s so you’d all play the killing game!”_

_“Th-the outside world is p-peace itself. There’s n-no despair or wars and…”_

_“All the people in this peaceful world are straight-up crazy for this killing game!”_

_“The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History never happened…Hope’s Peak, the Future Foundation, and the Remnants of Despair do not exist…”_

Shuichi, Maki, Himiko, and Keebo watched in horror as they reflected on the revelations uttered by their classmate, Tsumugi Shirogane, as she went on a cosplaying rant where she dressed up as Kyoko Kirigiri, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Aoi Asahina, Toko Fukawa, Genocide Jack, and Byakuya Togami. Himiko was left crying while Maki grit her teeth in anger.

While the survivors were drowning in their own turmoil, Tsumugi transformed once more, cosplaying as the Ultimate Hope himself, Makoto Naegi, and issued “I know it seems hopeless…but you all still have the Ultimate Choice to make! You have to choose between hope…” Tsumugi then cosplayed as the Ultimate Despair herself, Junko Enoshima, and continued “…or you can choose Despair, and let Danganronpa continue to entertain millions of people around the world!”

“…Let’s maintain calm, everyone…” Keebo tried to assure them. “…no positive outcome can possibly result from voting for…”

“Voting for Despair?” Junko interrupted, silencing Keebo as she chastised “Don’t you realize that by voting for despair, you’ll actually be giving hope to the outside world?”

“…What hope…?” Shuichi retorted in anger. “There’s no hope that can result from more and more killing games!”

“Shuichi’s right! Just…just stop it!” Himiko cried as Maki turned her back, silent tears falling out of view of the camera feed.

“Ah, now this is some nice despair…though it’s still only about B-rate…” Monokuma sighed “Not like the original guys…boy, that takes me back! Seeing those guys wallow in hopelessness…boy, that was some real A-Rate Despair!”

Junko meanwhile laughed and told Shuichi “Well…B-Rate or A-Rate, doesn’t really matter at this point. Shuichi, with Kaede gone, it’s up to you as the new protagonist to lead the others to your future. But what will you choose? Will you choose to hope? Or will you choose to despair?”

“…I…” _What?!_

A magenta light flashed in the middle of the trial room, blinding everyone as Junko exclaimed “Wh…what’s going on?! This wasn’t in the screenplay!”

_Huh? Then…if Tsumugi isn’t doing this…then…who…_

Once the light dimmed and dissipated, they got their answer; Makoto, Kyoko, Byakuya, Toko, Hina, and Hiro stood in the center, dazed as they tried to collect their bearings.

Monokuma gaped, stammering “It…it can’t be…but it’s…them?!?!”

Makoto shook the daze away, locking eyes with Shuichi and cocking his head in confusion while the Ultimate Detective narrowed his eyes in anger.

Coming out of her daze next, Hina looked around, then paled as she quietly mumbled “Ummm…I think we…we made it home…”

Byakuya nodded, apprehensively concurring “We must have; look at this place, it looks almost identical to the Class Trials we’ve taken part in.”

“Yeah but…” Toko pointed at Shuichi, Maki, Himiko, and Keebo and demanded “Wh…who are th…those people?! I’ve never se…seen them in my li…life!”

Cradlign her chin in contemplation, Kyoko postulated “It would seem…that we’re back in our own world, but we could be in a different Class Trial with different students from Hope’s Peak Academy.”

Makoto furrowed his brow and wondered “But if that’s the case…just how long were we gone?!”

“OHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Hiro screamed, the others watching with disturbed expressions as he fell to his knees before crawling backwards until his back was against Himiko’s podium, holding his head with one hand and pointing to behind the others with his other. “She…she can’t be here! She…she’s DEAD!”

_Dead…what’s Hiro…oh no…_ The others thought with dread as the shakily turned around, their eyes bulging out of their heads as they took in the sight of both Monokuma and a very confused Junko Enoshima. _Ju…JUNKO?! And MONOKUMA?!_

Hina wrapped her arms around her trembling frame as she fell to her knees, hyperventilating as Byakuya shook his head, muttering “Th…This is…” as Toko buried her face against Byakuya’s chest, the former Affluent Progeny wrapping his arms around her in a gesture of mutual comfort.

_Of all the places the Magenti-Star could have taken us…WHY did it have to take us to a world with both Monokuma AND Junko?!_ Makoto panicked, staring in fear at his arch-nemeses before his view was blocked by a protective wall of lavender. “K…Kyoko…”

Kyoko narrowed her eyes, holding back tears as Makoto’s terrified face as the Garbage Press threatened to end his life flashed though her mind.

_Never again…NEVER AGAIN WILL I LET YOU LAY ONE FINGER ON MAKOTO’S HEAD, JUNKO ENOSHIMA!_ She pointed a gloved finger at Junko and demanded “…What’s going on here?!”

Cocking her head in confusion, Junko’s eyes widened in realization as she deduced “Ohh…you guys must be extra cosplayers who wanted to be part of my show so bad, they crashed the party.” She shrugged “Well, it’s fine I guess…it wasn’t in my script, but at least it keeps things from getting boring…”

_Cosplayers?_ Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya wondered, their brows furrowing as they stared at Junko, Makoto peeking out from behind Kyoko.

“I…I think this is some kind of Class Trial…but it’s different from the kinds we were in…” Makoto continued to glance over Junko’s form, thinking _Junko looks…just like she did before she executed herself…wait…_ Makoto’s eyes widened as he realized _No, that’s wrong! Her eyes…they don’t give off the same love for Despair that Junko did…NO! She looks more like she’s excited to see her favorite TV show or playing her favorite video game…like how Komaru was when we were kids…_

With a more determined focus, Makoto stared into Junko’s eyes once more before realizing _And there’s more…in her right eye is a V, and in her left is a 3…but that’s not natural!_ Taking a deep breath, he walked next to his girlfriend and told her “Kyoko…something’s off about Junko, especially her eyes.”

Kyoko’s brow furrowed in intrigue before she stared into Junko’s eyes as well, nodding as she cradled her chin in her palm again and commented “Indeed; it’s strange for Junko to be wearing contacts, and it’s certainly not normal for human eyes to have markings that represent letters or numbers.”

Junko then interrupted their contemplation, commenting “Ya know, I’ve gotta say, it’s oddly cute seeing a couple of cosplayers adding Racoon tails and Tanuki Ears to their cosplays. I do enjoy seeing a Naegiri cosplay with some interesting crossover twists…”

_Again with the cosplay talk?!_ The Class 78th survivors wondered as Kyoko’s brow furrowed.

“I don’t know much about cosplay…but this Junko is clearly wearing a wig. I can see strands of blue hair peeking through the strawberry blonde hair.”

Byakuya’s brow furrowed as Makoto looked at him, the two nodding in understanding before the Ultimate Hope looked to his girlfriend, nodding at her before he looked Junko straight in the eyes and asked “Who are you?” causing Hina and Hiro to look up at him, their despair replaced with confused curiosity.

Junko withdrew a crown and placed it on her head before boasting “Who are we? Listen well peasants, for we are Junko Enoshima…”

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” Junko trailed off as Makoto pointed at her, a defiant glare in his eyes as he accused “You’re lying, whoever you are.”

“Wow, you even sound like the original protagonist! It’s been so long, I had almost forgotten! Nyohohohoho!” Monokuma gushed.

Makoto did his best to ignore Monokuma’s words as Junko frowned, tossing the crown off her head, grumbling “Alright alright, you got me; I’m not the original Junko Enoshima…” She shifted into her rock star persona and proclaimed “I’m actually Junko Enoshima the Fuckin’ 53rd!”

Makoto shook his head and denied “No, you’re still lying. Whether it’s the first or the 53rd, you’re **not** Junko Enoshima.”

Kyoko nodded “Indeed; while Junko Enoshima has the perfect ensemble of designer clothes and accessories…” _not to mention attitude…_ “…she has no desire to cosplay; her sole focus is to spread despair throughout the world.”

“That’s not untrue.” Monokuma interjected, only to be ignored. Sighing, he muttered “Nobody pays attention to the original mascot anymore…”

“W…what does that even m…mean…?” Toko stuttered, hearing Kyoko’s words.

Byakuya sighed as he pointed out “Turn around and look my dear; this is nothing but a farce.” 

As Toko looked up at Byakuya, then turned around to look at Junko, the former Affluent Progeny glared along with Makoto, Kyoko, and Hina who was just standing up.

“Enough of this charade; show us who you really are!”

Their eyes bulged out of their heads however, when Junko smiled and disappeared into a puff of smoke before dissipating, revealing a nearly perfect replica of Makoto, sans Racoon Tail and Tanuki Ears.

Kyoko shook her head, gnashing her teeth as she denied “That…that can’t be…my…”

Giving a perfect replica of the real Makoto’s hope-filled smile, Tsumugi replied “I am Makoto Naegi of course, and I am the protagonist of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.”

“D…Danganronpa? Trigger Happy Havoc?” Makoto asked, giving a bewildered stare to his doppelganger, who sighed in exasperation.

“Geez, are we really gonna go down this route? Your amnesia shouldn’t even apply here…alright fine.” Tsumugi explained “Danganronpa is a video game, anime, and reality TV franchise that entertains millions of people all around the world! And the very first was Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc! Currently, we’re at the season finale of the 53rd season, titled Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony.” Tsumugi then gestured to Shuichi, Himiko, Maki, and Keebo, and explained “These four survivors will have to choose between Hope and Despair!”

Makoto bristled, stammering “B…but…that’s **exactly** the choice Junko forced on us at Hope’s Peak Academy!”

Tsumugi shrugged, smiling as she justified “That’s just the way it’s always been. If they choose Despair, then all of them will die. But if they choose Hope, then these four survivors will survive and get to leave the Academy for Gifted Juveniles, and Danganronpa will continue to entertain the world for another season!”

“Um…so…does choosing Hope mean that this crazy show will…continue…?” Hina hesitantly asked.

Tsumugi nodded “That’s right; Danganronpa’s Hope will continue to entertain millions…”

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” The others stared at Makoto, then to Kyoko as the Racoon Luckster stared in shocked awe at his girlfriend. Kyoko pointed at Tsumugi, rage pooling in her violet eyes as she growled in a dangerous voice “”How **dare** you try and claim that this Killing Game is a means of escapism! How dare you try and use **Hope** as a gimmick for continuing this crazy game!”

“Kyoko…” Makoto muttered, about to grasp her shoulder in comfort and affection, only for her to slap it aside as she stomped over towards Tsumugi, the real Makoto unable to speak as he watched his girlfriend confront his doppelganger.

“Using Makoto Naegi’s appearance, voice, and Hope to promote more killing games…I’ve never seen something more disgusting in my life!” At last, Kyoko came to a stop, the two able to feel each other’s breaths tickling their skin as Kyoko demanded “Just who do you think you are?!”

Tsumugi raised an eyebrow and smiled, making Kyoko shudder on the inside at the sight of Makoto’s purehearted smile being used for nefarious purposes before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kyoko’s eyes widened in shock as the smoke dissipated to reveal a Pre-Mushroom Kingdom replica of herself.

“My name is…Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective.”

“Ultimate…Detective…?” Shuichi muttered under his breath as Kyoko shook the shock from her mind.

She crossed her arms over her breasts and smirked, taunting “Oh, that’s cute.”

Her doppelganger gasped, pointing her finger at the real Kyoko as she exclaimed “Y…you’re not acting like Kyoko Kirigiri at all?!”

The others sweatdropped, Makoto pondering _What does she mean; that’s the one and only Kyoko Kirigiri! Whoever this person is, they’ve been going on and on about cosplaying and acting…almost like we’re characters in a…no…_

Makoto’s face paled while a still smirking Kyoko asked “Alright then, why don’t you tell me how Kyoko Kirigiri is supposed to act?” _Whoever this phony is…they must have quite a bit of information about us…maybe even our deceased classmates as well…this is the perfect opportunity to test how far their knowledge goes…_

“Wow, now this is EXTREME!” Monokuma gasped. “This Kyoko is acting exactly like how she was in Trigger Happy Havoc…she even gets angry like she did whenever she would argue with Muku…whoa, that was a close one!”

The others merely ignored Monokuma however, leaving Tsumugi to smirk at Kyoko and announce “Very well then; allow me to educate you on the history of Kyoko Kirigiri, you amateur cosplayer! Kyoko Kirigiri was born the only child to Jin Kirigiri and an unnamed woman from the Uzuchi family. At the age of seven, her Mother passed away from an illness.” 

“Soon after, her Father walked out on her, leaving her Grandfather Fuhito Kirigiri as her sole guardian, and her mentor as a Detective. During her training, she befriended a Detective named Yui Samidare. Yui’s betrayal of Kyoko’s trust caused her hands to be permanently scarred from severe, third-degree burns, leading her to wear purple, studded gloves to remind her of her mistake.”

_Kyoko…_ Makoto thought, his heart going out to her as he processed all the suffering she had endured at such a young age.

_She…she’s described my life to perfection…but how…how did she know…I made sure nothing about my life could be found online!_ Kyoko thought, her eyes widening in shock as her smirk had long dropped from her face.

“She was then scouted by Hope’s Peak Academy as the Ultimate Detective, entering as the Ultimate Detective of Class 78th,. It was her intention to cut ties with her Father, who had since become the Headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy. However, she ended up reconnecting with him instead, thanks to the friendship of the Ultimate Lucky Student Makoto Naegi, who she began to date within a few months of meeting.”

_…Is…is that true? Makoto…Makoto and I…dated before we lost our memories?!_

Kyoko’s ponderings were interrupted as Tsumugi continued “A year after enrolling in Hope’s Peak Academy, the Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba, started a global phenomenon called the Tragedy that caused the world to sink into Despair. She and her classmates were then sheltered inside Hope’s Peak Academy for their own protection. This backfired however when Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba executed the Headmaster and suppressed their memories, forcing them to become participants in the School Life of Mutual Killing.”

_That’s essentially what Junko told us when we unmasked her as Mukuro’s killer. But how does this person know about that?_

“Over the course of the Killing Game, Kyoko Kirigiri became instrumental in ensuring the survival of the remaining participants. Eventually, she became a threat to the Mastermind Junko Enoshima, and forced her to use the Class Trial system to attempt to murder Kyoko. First she tried to murder Makoto Naegi in his bed, but was thwarted by a protective Kyoko Kirigiri. This forced Junko to shift to a backup plan, using Mukuro Ikusaba’s corpse, who she had executed soon after Sayaka Maizono’s murder, and use a bomb to obscure its identity. Because of the actions of Byakuya Togami, Toko Fukawa, Aoi Asahina, and Yasuhiro Hagakure, only she and Makoto Naegi were left as viable suspects during the Class Trial.”

Kyoko paled, realizing _…No…please no…_

“Taking advantage of Makoto’s kind and protective nature, she sacrificed Makoto, who Junko was willing to accept as a consolation prize, in order to ensure her survival.”

_What the…Kyoko never took advantage of me! I **chose** to take the fall for her, to save her life! Kyoko, don’t listen to this imposter!_ Makoto thought, gnashing his teeth in rage as his previous thoughts completely disappeared, now focused on the mental torture Kyoko was being subjected to.

Completely oblivious to Makoto’s thoughts, Kyoko felt tears trickling down her cheeks as Makoto’s terrified face from his failed execution flashed in front of her eyes over and over again.

_I remember that day…it was the worst day of my life! I want…I want to take it back…SO BADLY! I abandoned Makoto…abandoned the boy I love to die…and no matter how much he may smile at me and insist that he forgives me…I can NEVER for give myself for how I threw him under the bus to ensure my own survival! Not until the day I die! And for this…this monster…to just recount it like some historical event…_

“Luckily a virus saved Makoto’s life, allowing Kyoko Kirigiri to…AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Tsumugi screamed as Kyoko curled her hand into a fist and decked Tsumugi right between the eyes, causing the Ultimate Cosplayer to fly backwards, her wig flying off along with one of her contacts, revealing an olive-colored eye and hair as blue as Sayaka’s was.

The others blinked, gaping at the uncharacteristic show of violence from the Ultimate Detective, who was hyperventilating as she struggled to calm down, still feeling the rage boiling in her heart.

“Kyoko…” Makoto muttered, staring worriedly at his girlfriend as he realized _Kyoko…she…she’s really angry…but is she angry at that imposter…or…is she angry at herself…for what happened during Mukuro’s Class Trial?_

Tsumugi nursed her aching jaw as she spit out a few specks of blood, as well as a loose tooth before glaring at Kyoko and exclaiming “What the hell is wrong with you, bitch?! Kyoko Kirigiri isn’t Mondo; she wouldn’t punch the Mastermind!”

Kyoko smirked victoriously, crossing her arms over her breasts as she countered “Well, it seems that you don’t know me as well as you thought.”

Maki looked over to her and interjected “Um…Kyoko, was it? Thanks for decking Tsumugi; it was satisfying to see her finally knocked down a peg.”

Kyoko smiled and nodded “My pleasure, Miss…”

“Harukawa…Maki Harukawa.”

“Ah, Harukawa-san…if it would please you and your comrades feel better, I wouldn’t mind giving her a black eye as well. Besides, I still have some steam I need to blow off.”

“By all means, go right ahead. Shuichi?”

“I’ll just pretend I sneezed and was forced to close my eyes. What about you, Himiko?”

“Go for it! She deserves it for killing Tenko and the others!”

Keebo sighed and lamented “Normally, I’d advise against needless violence…but if anyone deserves it, it’s the Mastermind. My programming cannot determine a reason to halt a non-fatal brawl at this time.”

“Wh…what?!” Tsumugi shrieked, shakily getting to her feet as she looked to Monokuma and demanded “Monokuma, help me out here!”

“Now why would I do that?! You know I can’t interfere unless someone breaks a school regulation, and a brawl isn’t breaking school regulations. Even if it was, Kyoko Kirigiri isn’t a participant of the Killing School Semester, so the rules don’t apply to her. Besides…there’s no way I’m missing a catfight involving Kyoko Kirigiri! It’s so EXTREEEEMMMMMMEEEEEEE!”

_I never thought I’d see a day where Monokuma was on my side…_ Kyoko thought dryly.

Tsumugi sighed as Monokuma started digging into a tub of popcorn before she decided “…Guess I’ve got no choice…”

She then clapped her hands, causing five new Monokumas with different design variations to drop from the ceiling, forming a protective wall between Kyoko and Tsumugi.

The Class 78 survivors’ eyes bulged as Toko screamed “Aaaahhhhhh! What the f….fuck are those th…things?!”

“Allow us to introduce ourselves…I am Monotaro!”

“Monosuke!”

“Monophanie!”

“Monodam!”

“And Monokid!”

They then formed a team pose and exclaimed “Rise and shine, ursine! With our powers combined, we are the Monokubs!”

_…Monokubs…_ The Class 78th survivors thought, sweatdropping at the overdramatic introduction.

“MY CUBS!” Monokuma teared up, gushing “MY CUTE LITTLE CUBS CAME BACK TO ME!”

“FATHER!” They all exclaimed in unison, causing the Class 78th survivors to shudder at the Monokuma family display.

Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering “Kami, Monokuma’s multiplied!”

“I thought one was bad enough…” Makoto muttered.

Monotaro coughed awkwardly before stating “…Anyway…we can’t allow youse guys to harm Tsumugi here.”

“Oh no, that would leave this trial room staned with your blood and guts everywhere…and that just makes me wanna vomit!” Monophanie nodded.

Kyoko sweatdropped before relenting “…Fine…”, walking back over to her boyfriend as Tsumugi and the Monokubs sighed in relief.

“Aww…I wanted to see a Kirigiri catfight!” Monokuma groaned, only to be ignored by everyone else.

“…Anyways…” Kyoko crossed her arms and demanded “This…Danganronpa…is over; we will not allow another killing game to continue!”

As the others nodded in agreement, Tsumugi spat “Nonsense; the show must go on!”

Makoto shook his head, denying “Tsumugi…you need to stop this, right now!”

“Oh, but it’s not up to me…” She pointed to Shuichi and insisted “It’s up to Shuichi and the other survivors of the Killing School Semester! Not to mention the millions of viewers watching this show from home!”

“But that’s absurd!” Makoto insisted “You can’t use a Killing Game as a means of entertainment! You’re toying with people’s **lives** here!”

Tsumugi cocked her head in confusion and admitted “You know, I just don’t get it. Why is some crossover cosplayer trying so hard to act like Makoto Naegi? I mean, I admite the whole dedication to your performance…”

Miffed, Makoto interjected “It’s not an act! My name is Makoto Naegi!”

Smiling, Tsumugi suggested “I see…well, let’s test that theory, shall we?”

Tsumugi disappeared in a puff of smoke, Makoto’s eyes widening as a near perfect replica of his first love, Sayaka Maizono, appeared in her place.

_Sa…Sayaka…?_ Makoto stammered in his head, paling as the memories of her death flashed in his mind again.

_…I’ve got a bad feeling about this…_ Kyoko thought as she dreaded what the fake Sayaka was going to say to Makoto. _Given how my own doppelganger toyed with my own emotions…I just know this won’t end well._

“Um, if you don’t mind? Could we maybe switch rooms? Just for tonight?”

_Th…those were her exact words! When she tried to set me up so she could kill Leon and escape!_

Kyoko grit her teeth as the faux Sayaka told him with a cheery smile and giggle “Those were Sayaka Maizono’s exact words when she persuaded Makoto Naegi to unwittingly help her with her murder plan. She would kill Leon in Makoto’s room, leaving him as the perfect scapegoat. But she underestimated Leon’s strength and reflexes, and ended up being murdered by a hotheaded Leon instead.”

“N…no…that’s…”

Sayaka then disappeared, swiftly replaced by a copy of Leon Kuwata as he continued “But you just had to find me guilty! I was totally innocent, but you and the others sent me to my death anyway! Do you have any idea how painful it was? Being shot to death by all those baseballs?! And it’s all your fault, Makoto Naegi! You’re stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid!”

His confidence shattered, Makoto hung his head, tears trickling down his cheeks as he sobbed “…I…I am stupid…I could have stopped it…I could have stopped it all. I could have stopped Sayaka’s murder plan by insisting we sleep in the same room. I could have stopped Mondo’s tantrum by insisting that we all share our secrets together. I could have been a little more suspicious of Celeste. I should have worked harder to convince everyone to believe in Sakura. And I should have stopped Mukuro from stepping on Monokuma…then we wouldn’t have had any victims, and Junko never would have been able to try and frame Kyoko. But I didn’t do any of those things…I’m…so stupid…”

“No, that’s wrong!” Kyoko grit her teeth, clenching her fist as she growled “How dare you toy with Makoto’s emotions like that! You treat his sorrow like something to be manipulated! Where do you get off, Tsumugi?!”

Tsumugi merely smiled and asked, still cosplaying as Leon “Oh, you think I don’t know about sorrow? Well then…” Leon disappeared into a puff of smoke before reappearing as Junko and questioning “…why don’t you tell me all about it. Tell me how you felt when you found your Father’s bones in his office, all wrapped up like a present.”

“No way…that’s…too cruel…” Hina gasped, the others frowning in concern for the Racoon Detective.

“Let me take a guess…you probably mourned his death and whatever chance you had to reconnect with your Father again, the Father that had become the center of your world. You probably started bawling when you sent Makoto away to investigate, crying like the little girl you really are.”

“Th…that’s not true…” Kyoko weakly lied, feeling her eyes water as the memory of her doing exactly that, and craving Makoto’s warm, comforting embrace as she cried, flooded her mind.

“Kyoko…” Hina muttered, filling Makoto’s role as he was too wrapped up in his own despair to notice.

As if that wasn’t enough, Junko disappeared in yet another puff of smoke, reappearing as Makoto as Tsumugi taunted “You must be used to pushing people away, right? Just like you did to me when I didn’t tell you about Sakura’s duel with Monokuma. Or when you abandoned me to die under that garbage press so that you could survive and solve your mystery.”

Kyoko slammed her hands over her ears, shouting as she cried “THAT’S ENOUGH! I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!”

Tsumugi smirked before changing her appearance yet again, this time to Kyoko before weaving between the podiums and behind Kyoko, hissing in her ear “In the end, you can’t trust anyone but yourself…everyone lies to you.”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! YAMERO! YAMERO! YAMERO!” Kyoko screamed, falling to her knees as she thought to herself _Please! Just make it go away!_

“Alright, that’s it!” Byakuya, Toko, Hiro, and Tsumugi shifted their gaze to a now seething Hina, who clenched her fists and shouted “Leave my friends alone! I won’t allow you to torment them any…”

Hina gasped, trailing off as Kyoko’s doppelganger disappeared in a puff of smoke before reappearing as her best friend, Sakura Ogami.

“Sa…Sakura?”

Sakura smiled, nodding “Hina…I’m so happy to see you all united…now I know my suicide wasn’t in vain.”

_No…this can’t be! I wanted to see Sakura again…but not like this! Not toying with our emotions like this! The real Sakura was much more honorable than that!_

“Hina…I’m proud of you…you were willing to avenge my death no matter what the cost…even though it played right into Monokuma’s hands.”

“No…” Hina gasped, falling to her knees in despair.

Toko grit her teeth, exclaiming “That’s e…enough. It’s time I do s…something about y…you…”

Toko gasped, trailing off as Tsumugi once again changed forms, this time into her own alter ego, Genocide Jill.

“Oh, please, a shut-in like you shouldn’t be this bold. After all…who’d want to rely on some useless writer with a serial killer as a split personality?!”

“N…no way…h…her?!” Toko gasped, feeling the world around her disappear in a blur as she despaired _Why did I have to meet h…her??! She’s caused me so much pain and mi…misery!_

“Toko, snap out of it!” Byakuya exclaimed as he shook her by the shoulders, only for his efforts to be in vain as she refused to snap out of it. Glaring at Tsumugi, Byakuya demanded “You, imposter, stop this nonsense at once…”

“And why do you wish to help Toko?” Byakuya trailed off, confronted with the sight of his own doppelganger as he continued “She’s merely annoying trash, not at all worthy of being with the great Byakuya Togami.”

Red with fury, Byakuya grit his teeth and clenched his fist, retorting “I care about the people who can serve me well, and this woman is far more useful than first impressions would lead you to believe.”

Byakuya’s eyes widened as Tsumugi changed form once more, this time into Chihiro Fujisaki, who asked “So…was I a useful friend then, when you strung up my corpse to make the second Class Trial more interesting?”

“Th…this is…” Byakuya muttered, biting his fingernails once before clenching his fist and gritting his teeth, pointing at Tsumugi and demanding “How do you know so much about us?!”

Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, and Toko shook themselves out of their despair-filled trances, just enough to stand and look at Tsumugi as she reverted back to her normal self as she explained “Oh, it’s simple. I’m a huge Danganronpa fan; I’ve played all the games and watched the animes that you all have starred in.”

Makoto paled, uttering “So…we really are just…video game…characters…?”

_H…HUH?!_ His friends exclaimed in their minds, their eyes bulging in disbelief.

Tsumugi nodded “That’s right; I’m real while you’re all fictional! Oh, you must be feeling such despair right now! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!”

“Hmm…I wonder how Hope Boy will speech his way out of this one…” Monokuma mused as he looked at the shocked Class 78th Survivors.

“M…me…Byakuya Togami, a fictional character? That’s lu…ludicrous!” Byakuya shook his head in denial, his face paling at the truth.

Toko held her head in her hands as she stuttered “So my t…troubled past was all just someone’s enter…entertainment?!”

Hina’s face turned pale as a ghost, the Frog-Suited Swimmer gasping “So…I have no control over my own life? Reaching for that gold medal isn’t even my own dream?!”

_C…Calm down, Kyoko…this is all one big lie…the scars on your hands, your Detective training, the Killing Game you survived, your love for Makoto…those are real…those are real…aren’t they…?_

Yet for all her efforts, Kyoko found herself unable to regain her composure. Desperate for a life raft of hope to keep her from drowning in an ocean of despair, she turned to Makoto, only for the last of her hope to be extinguished as she saw his normally bright green eyes darken in despair.

_Ma…Makoto…you too…?_

Makoto’s lip quivered as he uttered “…This is exactly why I didn’t tell Captain Toad about the Super Mario Bros. games back in the Mushroom Kingdom…because he’d be feeling just like we are right now.” Makoto looked up at Tsumugi and asked “If we’re just fictional characters…then…what’s the point of even existing.”

Tsumugi smiled and replied simply “It’s all for the sake of Danganronpa!”

As Makoto, Kyoko, Byakuya, Hina, and Toko felt themselves drown further and further into despair, their eyes turned into black and white swirls as their lips curled into creepy, hopeless smiles.

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!”

“Huh?” Everyone uttered, looking to Makoto, who looked just as bewildered and disheartened. _Wait…if Makoto didn’t say his catchphrase, then who…_

They turned their gaze, their eyes widening as they saw the Ultimate Clairvoyant glaring at Tsumugi, pointing his finger at the Ultimate Cosplayer with a hopeful determination in his eyes.

_HIRO?!_

XXX

Intermission

“Welcome, everyone, to the first ever Trial Six Intermission!”

“But Father, we’ve never had an intermission for the final Class Trial before!”

“And that was a super duper majorly bad mistake on the part of the developers! So bad it’s almost magical! Ultra magical awful awful attack!”

“Huh? But why, Father?”

“I’ll tell you! Trigger Happy Havoc’s was short enough to not need one, but Goodbye Despair’s was such a long plot dump! A good chunk of our audience probably had to go grab a snack out of boredom! And this one would have been even worse; it ended up being a record FOUR HOURS LONG! That’s longer than a Lord of the Rings movie!”

“Ah, so you decided to give the player a break halfway through?”

“Exactly! That was we can keep the audience’s attention!”

“Okay, but Daddy…why did we put the intermission at such a cliffhanger?”

“Well, naturally we want to keep the audience hooked and tempted to skip the break entirely so thay play through the whole thing in one sitting!”

“Huh? But Father…why have an intermission at all if you just want the player to play the whole Class Trial in one sitting?”

“IT’S ABOUT GIVING THE PLAYER OPTIONS, GODDAMMIT! ARE ALL CUBS AS SILLY AND STUPID AS YOU?!”

“Eeek! Daddy’s scary….!”


	10. Chapter Nine: Hiro the Protagonist?!  The Secret of Danganronpa Revealed!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as all hope seems lost, Hiro speaks up to prove Tsumugi wrong and bring his friends out of despair. Will the unlikely protagonist be able to defeat the Mastermind and save his friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter Nine of Super Danganronpa Bros, as commissioned by NotFanFicNet. Sprites were taken from the DR Wiki.

“Yo! The name’s Yasuhiro Hagakure. Hiro for short.”

“We finally got home, only to land in the middle of another Class Trial, complete with a Monokuma and a Junko copycat who looks and sounds like Sayaka!”

“As if that wasn’t enough, she just told us that we’re all fictional character!”

“This bites…everyone’s fallen into despair; even Makoto!”

“But too bad for her, I just remembered something that’s gonna save us all! That’s right, I’m actually gonna be useful for once!”

“So watch out! Yasuhiro Hagakure is gonna beat the Mastermind and get us all home!”

“Oh, and don’t forget to kudo and comment!”

XXX

Makoto, Kyoko, Byakuya, Hina, and Toko stared at Hiro, his unusually hopeful, determined stare a sharp contrast to the black and white, despair-filled swirls in their eyes as he pointed at Tsumugi. Tsumugi blinked, a bewildered look in her eyes before howled in laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks as she doubled over, clutching her belly as she processed the hilarity of the situation.

Hiro sweatdropped before Tsumugi finally calmed down, albeit still laughing as she asked “You?! Yasuhiro Hagakure, is gonna be the PROTAGONIST?! What a joke!”

“HEY! DON’T BE MEAN!” An indignant Hiro protested, an annoyed expression on his face.

“Please, you’ll never bring your friends back from despair…”

“Are you sure about that?!” Monokuma wondered, shutting up Tsumugi’s laughter and causing her to turn with a confused expression towards the mascot.

She then turned back to Hiro, who still had a hopeful determination in his eyes before vanishing into a puff of smoke, reappearing as a copy of Hiro himself before placing her hands on her hips and scoffing “Please, I’m nothing but a comic relief character, for serious! I’m just a clown who nobody’s supposed to take seriously. For kami’s sake, I was the victim in the Trigger Happy Havoc demo, not to mention the Ace Attorney Crossover!”

“BE QUIET YOU!”

The fake Hiro shut up, stunned by Hiro’s uncharacteristic show of backbone before asking “What the hell are you…”

“I said be quiet me…you…ummm…person…umm…girl who looks and sounds like Sayaka.”

“…Her name is Tsumugi…” Monokuma informed him, facepalming out of exasperation at Hiro’s butchered retort.

“Yeah! Be quiet, Tsumugi!” Hiro exclaimed, thinking _I really should have paid better attention. But I was so freaked out by Monokuma that I didn’t even pay attention to those new kids’ names. Who was that girl who Kyoko talked to again? Hattakawa? Weird name…_ Hiro slapped his cheeks telling himself _Focus, Hagakure! You’ve gotta tell everyone what you remembered from the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tarot and Fortune Telling!_

Hiro glared at Tsumugi once more and declared “I have something to say…but first…Tsumugi, stop dressing up as me!”

_W…what the hell?! Why is Hiro speaking with such an aggressive edge in his voice? It’s really unnerving!_

Tsumugi reluctantly nodded, vanishing in a puff of smoke until she reappeared as her usual self.

Hiro took a deep breath before beginning “Everyone…”

“Oh, this outta be interesting!” Monokuma interrupted, digging into a bag of popcorn as he urged between bites “…Continue, Hiro…”

Hiro glared at Monokuma before sighing and continuing “Everyone, Tsumugi is wrong! We’re not video game or anime characters! We’re real people!” Hiro put his hands on his hips, grinning proudly as he thought _Try and refute that, Tsumugi!_

Hiro frowned as he heard a feminine chuckle and turned around to see Kyoko chuckling “…Wow, Tsumugi is right; you **are** the comic relief character.”

Makoto, Byakuya, Hina, and Toko joined Kyoko in a chorus of despairful chuckles as the Racoon Detective stared at the floor, her long lavender hair forming a curtain and obscuring her Junko-esque smile.

Hiro started to sweat, panicking _This is bad! They won’t even listen to me in this state! What do I…_

“Hagakure!”

“Huh?” Hiro turned around to face the source of the voice, furrowing his brow in confusion as he pondered _Who…who is this guy? And why does he look like a shiny version of Makoto?_

“…Your furrowed brow indicates confusion. Very well, I shall commence with introductions. I am K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot. But you can call me Keebo.”

_…Ultimate Robot? How does one become an Ultimate Robot?!_

Hiro sweatdropped before Keebo continued “Before you make any obviously robophobic remarks…allow me to give you a nudge in the right direction.” Seeing Hiro’s interested stare, Keebo continued “If you want to save your friends from despair, perhaps it would be fruitful to explain **why** you’re not fictional characters.”

A light bulb lit up in Hiro’s brain as he tried to save face, stammering “R…right…I knew that! I was just…waiting for one of my friends to ask, that’s all…”

Shuichi, Himiko, Maki, and Keebo sweatdropped, the Ultimate Assassin sighing “This Hagakure makes that idiot Kaito look like the Ultimate Brain Surgeon…”

An indignant Hiro narrowed his eyes and pointed at Maki, telling her “Hey, don’t be mean!”

Maki glared at Hiro, sending a terrifying shiver down his spine as she hissed “Do you want to die?”

Hiro gulped, thinking _Yikes! This girl could give Kyoko a run for her money!_ He waved his hands in front of him frantically, denying “N…no way! I’m too…too young to die!”

“Then say what you’re going to say already.”

Shuichi watched as a now calm Hiro nodded and turned to face his friends, thinking _Depending on how Hagakure proceeds…it could very well influence our own trial as well…_

Hiro’s face turned pale as he saw black swirls in his friends’ eyes, their smiles constantly shifting between frowns and smiles. Hiro couldn’t make out Kyoko’s unintelligible mumbling as he looked into Makoto’s eyes, his heart breaking as he saw a Junko-esque grin on his face, the swirls in his eyes spinning twice as fast as the scleras were tinged red.

 _This is bad! I’ve gotta get everyone back to their senses! But I’m not Makoto…wait…I’ve got it! I just gotta get Makoto back to his senses and he can handle the others! Well…here goes nothing…_ “Makoto, do you remember when we were in Hyrule…”

“Hyrule?!” Tsumugi gasped, confused at the new revelation.

Hiro ignored her and continued “…and we talked about that thing I couldn’t remember from the complete Idiot’s Guide to Tarot and Fortune Telling?”

 _…The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tarot and Fortune Telling…?_ Shuichi, Maki, and Keebo thought, sweatdropping at the stupidity of the title.

“Nyeh…that sounds like a book I read when I first started learning magic…” Himiko commented, causing her friends to stare incredulously at her.

Makoto shook his head, looking at Hiro as he retorted “It doesn’t matter what you remember anymore…we’re just fictional characters…hehehehehehehehehe…”

Makoto burst into laughter, causing Hiro to narrow his eyes in frustration, thinking _That’s it, I’ve had it! If words won’t do the trick, maybe my actions will!_ Hiro ran up to Makoto until they could feel each other’s breath and wound back his fist, screaming “MAKOTO, WAKE UP!” before launching a punch squarely on Makoto’s cheek.

Hiro panted as Makoto fell on his tail, groaning in pain as he rubbed his cheek, the Racoon Luckster staring up at the angry Clairvoyant with a shocked expression on his face.

Tsumugi pointed at Hiro and stammered “W…what the h…hell…?! Y…you can’t punch Ma…Makoto! That’s Juzo Sakakura’s job!”

“Sit down and shut up, Tsumugi!” Tsumugi turned to face Monokuma, who explained “I wanna hear what Hiro has to say; this is getting good!”

“Eek!” Tsumugi clamped her hands over her mouth, panicking _I can’t upset Miss…I mean Monokuma!_

As Makoto stood up, Hiro grabbed him by his hoodie and demanded “Do I have your attention now?!” Makoto nodded, shocked by Hiro’s new, aggressive side before Hiro sighed and continued “…I remembered reading that people can have a subconscious psychic link to different worlds, meaning that what Tsumugi thought was someone’s creative imagination was actually mental flashes of us playing the Killing Game!”

 _…Mental…flashes…?!_ Makoto and Tsumugi thought in unison, perplexed by Hiro’s hypothesis.

“So, that means that anything we thought was fictional was actually based on a real world…that includes the Mushroom Kingdom!”

 _Okay…first Hyrule…now the Mushroom Kingdom?! What on earth is he talking about?!_ Tsumugi wondered as Hiro pulled Makoto until their noses were touching.

“Makoto, if we and the friends we’ve made are nothing but fictional characters, then why did it feel so sad to leave them behind?!”

Makoto bit his lip and closed his eyes, pondering _…What if Hiro’s right…? Tsumugi claims she knows so much about us because she’s a huge Danganronpa fan, but if what Hiro’s saying is true, then there’s a chance that Tsumugi doesn’t know everything about us…because the creator of Danganronpa couldn’t know EVERYTHING about us through some brief mental flashes…_

Though his eyes were still closed, a flash of inspiration hit Makoto, making his memories flash through his head as he latched on to them like a desperate hope.

_Captain Toad…he told us he married Toadette and had two kids…but they never appeared in any Mario Game! And when I invaded Bowser’s Castle to rescue Kyoko…there was blood…Bowser was bleeding! But there’s never been blood in the Super Mario games…EVER!_

_“Don’t lose hope now, Makoto!”_

_“Come on Makoto…come back to your senses!”_

_…Sayaka…Leon…is…is that you…? Are you…encouraging me…from beyond the grave…?_ Feeling a pair of gentle nudges at his shoulders, Makoto decided _…Yeah…you’re right…I…I can’t give up on hope, especially since you guys aren’t around to enjoy it with us. Thanks Sayaka, Leon…Thanks…Hiro!_ When Makoto at last opened his eyes, the black swirls were now gone, his eyes returned to normal as a hopeful smile stretched from ear to ear and replied simply “I agree with that!”

Hiro grinned, letting go of Makoto’s hoodie and squeezing Makoto in a bear hug, exclaiming “Dude! You’re back, for serious!”

“…Hiro…thanks for bringing me back…but please stop hugging me; you’re crushing my ribs!”

As Hiro let go, Makoto wheezed for breath, the Ultimate Clairvoyant apologizing “Sorry, my bad…”

Makoto chuckled “Don’t worry about it…now…what about them…?”

Makoto and Hiro turned to see Byakuya, Hina, and Toko, black swirls still spinning in their eyes, although they were no longer smiling in despair, but rather giving confused frowns, as though Hiro’s words had shaken Tsumugi’s grip, but left them unsure of the truth.

“Hey…Makoto…” Hiro asked “You mind taking over from here? I mean…you **are** the Ultimate Hope…and you’re better at giving pep talks than I am…”

Makoto smiled and shook his head, encouraging him “Hiro…you did good.”

Hiro laughed bashfully and patted Makoto on the back, replying “Nah…I just had a thirty percent chance of saying the right words. Besides…they’d probably listen more to you than me…”

“Hey, don’t shortchange yourself, Hiro!” Makoto took a deep breath and admitted “But you’re right…I have to make our friends feel hope again…just like when we faced Junko…”

Makoto turned to Hina with a sad expression on his face as he noted _Hina’s drive, her determination…Tsumugi stole it all from Hina…and I’m gonna get it back!_ “Hina!”

Hina looked up at Makoto as he told her “You need to get up, and keep reaching for that gold medal!”

“…What gold medal? It’s not even my own dream; some character designer probably just put that in my character…”

“No, that’s wrong!” Hina gasped as Makoto exclaimed “Remember what made you **want** that gold medal in the first place! That’s something no story writer can ever put in for you!”

Hina closed her eyes, recalling “…When I was little…my parents always fought, and I was too young to understand why. Because I lived in a lousy household, I didn’t have any motivation to do anything. I just laid in bed all day and wasted my life away. But then…I signed up for a softball team on a whim…” Hina smiled as she recalled “…and it was one of the best decisions in my life! It gave me something to focus on, and something to distract me from all the family problems at home!”

“…Now I understand…why you had the energy to join six sports teams…it was to let out all that negative energy building up from your home problems…” Makoto realized, smiling as he got to understand his friend even more.

Hina nodded, explaining “Then when I tried swimming and was a natural at it…my Coach told me that I had the potential to compete in the Olympics if I kept at it. That…that was when I realized…that no matter what…I **had** to reach for that gold medal…to be the best of the best!” Hina opened her eyes, now returned to normal as she smiled, realizing “…There’s no way that feeling is just fiction.”

“N…no…that can’t be…!” Hina turned to Tsumugi, who pointed at her and exclaimed “You must have made it up! Aoi Asahina has always been a sporty, donut eating, happy go lucky spaz!”

“No, that’s wrong!” Tsumugi was stunned into silence as Hina pointed at her, an angry glare in her eyes as she continued “There’s more to me than just sports and donuts! I was motivated by my parents feuding every night to get into sports and reach for the gold!” Hina chuckled, smiling bashfully as she admitted “My love of donuts came later when I dragged my brother Yuta into joining a sports team.”

Makoto and Hiro sweatdropped, smiling while a dumbfounded Tsumugi stammered “Th…that’s impossible! This…this was never in any of your Free Time Events! And it never showed up in the Danganronpa 3 anime, either!”

Hina merely smiled back and replied “I don’t have time to waste on this Danganronpa stuff; I have to keep moving forward so I can find that gold medal!”

Gasping in shock, a desperate Tsumugi disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing as Hina herself in her outfit from the Killing School Life before arguing “You **need** Danganronpa! If it wasn’t for Danganronpa, you would never have met Sakura Ogami and fallen in love with her.”

“…Sakura was my best friend and I love her…” Hina smirked and continued “But for someone who claims to be such a huge Danganronpa fan, you seem to be unaware of the fact that Sakura had a boyfriend before she died.” As Tsumugi gaped in shock, Hina grinned proudly and boasted “Sakura told me when she slept over during the night Sayaka was killed. Besides…” Hina glanced over at Makoto and continued “I actually want a boyfriend, which is why I asked Makoto for help and asked him to pretend to be my boyfriend to help me practice.”

Hiro looked over at Makoto, curiously asking “Is that true, dude?”

Makoto blushed, smiling bashfully as the embarrassing, yet happy memory flashed in his mind, the Racoon Lucky Student nodding with a nervous chuckle “Y…yeah…it’s true…”

“Th…that doesn’t count…” Tsumugi stammered.

“It **does** count, and thanks for reminding me of the sacrifice Sakura made so that we could all stay united! I’ve made my decision; I’m gonna carry on Sakura’s will like a gold medal and keep moving forward!”

Hina smiled as Sakura’s smiling form briefly flashed in her mind, nodding approvingly at the Frog Swimmer Girl’s choice.

Hina’s brow suddenly furrowed as she crossed her arms and cocked her head, biting her lip in contemplation as she wondered “So…if what Hiro said is true…then…”

_“HEI-HO!”_

Hina smiled as she imagined Heiho-kun smiling at her from behind his mask before she realized “…then Heiho-kun is just as real as I am…and is SO huggable!”

Hina giggled while a shocked and confused Tsumugi disappeared in a puff of smoke, returning to her original form as she stared at the Frog Swimmer and wondered in disbelief _…WHAT THE HELL IS A HEIHO-KUN?!_

Hina turned around and walked over to Hiro and Makoto, wrapping her arms around them in a group hug as she whispered “Thank you both…”

Once they separated, Makoto merely smiled and replied “We’re just glad to have your hope back!” Makoto frowned, his eyes narrowed as he turned to his girlfriend, Byakuya, and Toko, announcing “Alright, three more to go…”

“…Are you just gonna give a big Hope speech? Because…I didn’t even g…get one in the final t…trial…”

Makoto closed his mouth, looking down in guilt at the realization that Toko didn’t get to directly feel hope like the others did, apologizing “S…sorry…but I couldn’t exactly help that Jill was the one in control back then…”

Toko chuckled, causing Makoto to look up at her as she shook her head and retorted “Not that it ma…matters…I’m just as fi…fictional as my romance novels…”

“It doesn’t matter if we’re fictional characters!” Makoto retorted “You wanted to be helpful to us, to Byakuya…so that you can be more than just the anti-social writer with a serial killer split personality!”

“…Th…that’s right…I…I wanted to be more…to do more…I wanted to be u…useful…”

Makoto nodded, smiling as he continued “Those feelings are real, Toko, your love for Byakuya is real!”

Gasping, Toko closed her eyes, feeling herself get pulled away from her despair and into one of her fantasies.

XXX

A six-year-old Toko sat in her room, biting her lip and writing on a piece of paper. Suddenly, she heard a malicious chuckle behind her, causing her to gasp as she turned around. Toko’s eyes widened as she saw a dark, looming shadow with dark red eyes staring out at her as a slithering tongue stuck out below the shadow’s eyes. Toko burst into tears, crying and trembling while the shadow only laughed, materializing a pair of scissors in its hand before resting the tip against Toko’s throat.

All of a sudden, the shadow was pushed back, screeching in fear as five balls of green, purple, blue, yellow, and golden light materialized in front of her. The golden light dissipated to reveal a seven-year-old Byakuya Togami. Byakuya extended a hand, allowing Toko to eagerly take it as he pulled her to her feet. The two were momentarily engulfed in light before it dissipated, revealing a new nineteen-year- old Byakuya and Toko. Byakuya turned his head in a gesture for her to follow him as he walked off, still radiating golden light in the darkness.

Toko took two steps in his direction before she heard a whimpering sound behind her. Her brow furrowed in confusion, Toko turned around before her eyes widened as the sight of the previously malicious shadow shedding tears as it cried.

Toko frowned as she thought _She…she’s crying…but I should leave her be…she…she’s caused me nothing but tr…trouble…_

_“I’ll always protect you, Toko.”_

Toko gasped as she thought _…That’s right…when she was just my imaginary fr…friend…she…she told me that…and leaving her behind…would be like throwing a part of myself away…a part that pro…protected me…in her own twisted way…_

Steelign her resolve, Toko sighed and walked up to the shadow, extending her hand out to it. The shadow looked at her hesitantly, but dropped the scissors, taking Toko’s hand as she pulled it to the still waiting Byakuya. The golden light caused the shadow to dissipate, revealing Genocide Jill as the two alter egos looked at each other. They smiled before embracing in a hug. Smiling as well, Byakuya wrapped his arms around his two favorite girls before they giggled and wrapped their arms around him.

XXX

When Toko at last opened her eyes,they had returned to normal. She smiled at Makoto, making him smile in return.

“You…want to help me bring Byakuya back to normal?”

Toko scoffed “I would have done that even wi…without your help…”

Makoto chuckled, thinking _…At least she’s back to normal…_

He and Toko then turned to Byakuya, frowning as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny looked completely lost, a shell of his former self.

“Byakuya, snap out of it! We need the Ultimate Affluent Progeny…”

“There is no Ultimate Affluent Progeny.” Makoto and Toko turned to see a revitalized Tsumugi interrupting “There is no Togami Conglomerate, because that was all written up by Team Danganronpa. Byakuya Togami in Trigger Happy Havoc was nothing more than an actor!” Tsumugi crossed her arms over her breasts, smirking victoriously as she thought _Try and counter THAT, Hope boy!_

Makoto frowned as he realized _This isn’t good; she knows how to counter my unique brand of reassurance. I’m gonna have to try a different tactic; something Tsumugi won’t see coming!_ Makoto narrowed his eyes as he taunted “Is that it?! You’re gonna let the words of a demented fangirl beat you? I expected more out of the great Byakuya Togami!”

Tsumugi gasped, thinking _W…what the…this…THIS ISN’T IN MAKOTO’S CHARACTER!_

Hiro and Hina looked at each other in confusion, while Toko grit her teeth, exclaiming “H…How dare you talk like that to Ma…Master…!”

“Nyohohohohohoooo! Now this is exciting!” Monokuma laughed.

“Huh? W…what’s he doing?!” Tsumugi asked, only for Monokuma to deny her.

“Sorry, but…denied! Super denied! Ultra denied! There’s no way I’m spoiling Makoto’s argument for everyone!”

As Tsumugi groaned in frustration, Himiko turned to Shuichi and asked “Nyeh…what **is** he doing?”

Shuichi grasped his chin in concentration before he realized “…I think…Makoto’s trying to goad Byakuya.”

As Himiko nodded in understanding, Byakuya finally turned to face Makoto, encouraging Makoto as he continued “Why does a few words cause someone who called himself the Ultimate Perfection to shut down like a faulty video game console?! You’re better than that, Byakuya!”

“…Explain. Now.” Byakuya demanded, his eyes widened in shock.

“…Remember what you told me during the Killing Game? How you had to fight in an insane competition against all your other siblings to be recognized as the heir to your family’s legacy? Even if we are just fictional, the struggles you’ve endured, the obstacles you’ve had to overcome to become head of the Togami Conglomerate and survice the Killing Game…that suffering was real, don’t ever forget that!”

Byakuya stared at Makoto, his eyes widened before he closed them, recalling his past. The happy days he spent with his Mother before he was abandoned by both of his parents. The days where he learned to become ruthless to survive his own siblings’ ruthlessness. The days where his butler Aloysius Pennyworth served as his only source of compassion and comfort. The nights that he cried himself to sleep, dreaming of his Mother’s loving, warm embrace.

Byakuya gasped as he felt Toko embrace him from behind, whispering in his ear “M…Master…you…you don’t have to suffer a…alone anymore. Our friends are real, I’m r…real…so…so you’re real too!”

At last, Byakuya opened his eyes, the black swirls replaced by his blue irises as he looked at Makoto, who smiled and held out his hand and said “We’ll always need a Togami at our side.”

Byakuya smirked arrogantly and accepted Makoto’s hand, commenting “Of course you plebians will need me; you’d all be lost without my leadership.”

“You’re being a bit rude, right now.” Keebo scolded “You didn’t even thank Makoto for his help.”

Makoto smiled, shaking his head as he explained “He doesn’t need to; I already know he’s grateful.”

“Believe whatever you wish…” Byakuya scoffed, though he couldn’t keep an embarrassed blush from staining his cheeks pink.

“Th…that doesn’t matter!” Tsumugi stammered in a desperate bid to regain control “The Togami Empire doesn’t exist!”

Byakuya nodded “You’re correct…”

 _WHY ARE YOU AGREEING WITH HER?!_ Makoto, Hiro, Hina, and Toko exclaimed in their heads, shocked at Byakuya’s response.

“…because Junko destroyed my Empire.” Byakuya smirked evilly at Tsumugi, pointing at her as he boasted “Which is why I’m going to rebuild it, and bring it greater glory than it’s ever known..” As Toko stood by his side, Byakuya smiled softly as he admitted “…and this time, I won’t be alone.”

He then leaned down to kiss Toko on the lips, though they were startled apart as Tsumugi pointed at them and shrieked “WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! YOU TWO AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP! TOGAFUKA IS TOXIC!!!”

Both lovers glared at Tsumugi, annoyed by both being interrupted by the Ultimate Cosplayer and by her accusation about the toxicity of their relationship.

Toko pointed at Tsumugi and pointed out “Did it not o…occur to you that maybe I had fe…feelings for Ma…Master before the me…memory wipe?”

 _…No…I…I never saw any of Class 78 th’s School Life during the Danganronpa 3 anime…could it really…_ Shaking her head in denial, Tsumugi demanded “Has he ever told you that he loves you?!”

To Tsumugi’s shocked disappointment, Toko shook her head and replied with a determined expression “He doesn’t have to…” before their hands intertwined and she met Byakuya’s lips in a soft, chaste kiss.

Once they separated, they turned their back to Tsumugi and walked back to Hiro and Hina as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny told Makoto “Makoto, this is your leader’s order; you cannot refuse. Take down this second-rate mastermind.”

 _SECOND-RATE?!_ Tsumugi shrieked in her mind as Toko nodded.

“Yeah…Tsu…Tsumugi needs to be taken out of her little fa…fantasy world so she can get a do…dose of reality!”

Makoto nodded, thinking _Alright…all that’s left is…Kyoko…_

Makoto turned to look at Kyoko, his green eyes filled with sadness as he saw his girlfriend on her knees, her lavender hair obscuring her face just like her cold iron mask did before he forced it off her with his love. Makoto’s eyes widened in shock as he saw her scarred hands bare, her gloves discarded as she stared at her personal mark of shame.

 _…Her gloves…Kyoko…what did Tsumugi DO to you that made you take off your gloves?!_ Filing the thought away for later, Makoto took a deep breath and approached his girlfriend, placing his hand on her shoulder as he muttered “Kyoko…”

*Smack*

Makoto gasped in hurt shock as she slapped his hand away, turning her back to him as she pleaded “Please…don’t look at me.”

Makoto saw her Tail droop, making Makoto frown, causing his own Tail and Tanuki Ears to droop as well, realizing _I don’t think a simple Tail rub is going to help here…_ Steeling his resolve, he simple walked around her until he was facing her once more, the Racoon Luckster grasping both her shoulders as he asked “Why don’t you want me to look at you?” Despite the fact that he was dreading the answer, Makoto resolved _No matter what…I’m never leaving your side again!_

Kyoko chuckled lowly as she lifted her head, revealing a despairing grin that could give Junko a run for her money, as well as black swirls in her eyes that spun so fast in her red scleras that he could barely track them.

_Kyoko…I was afraid you had fallen to despair…but I didn’t think it’d be this bad…_

Tears fell from her eyes as she told him “I see the disappointment in your eyes, Makoto…so this is what true despair feels like.”

_Kyoko…I always believed you were a strong-willed girl…and I still do…but I never thought you of all people would be so affected by such cruel mental attacks. This Tsumugi…even Junko wasn’t this cruel! But even so…I…I’M NOT GONNA LET DESPAIR TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME!_

In a strange fusion of crying and laughing, Kyoko told him “I know what you’re thinking Makoto…you’re trying to think of a way to bring me back from despair. But it doesn’t matter what you say…because my whole life…my feelings, my struggles…IT WAS NOTHING BUT A LIE!”

“No, that’s wrong.” Makoto rebutted gently, placing his palms against her cheeks so he could make her look into his eyes, causing her despairful smile to vanish, replaced with a stoic expression that was purely Kirigiri.

“…How can I be wrong when everything that happened in my life is just fiction…?” Kyoko trailed off, tears falling from her eyes as she continued to cry.

“…Kyoko…” Makoto stroked her cheeks with his thumbs as he replied “Even though we’re in love with each other… there’s still so much about each other that we just don’t know. I had no idea about just how much you struggled…your Mother’s death, your Father abandoning you, the intensity of your Detective training, Yui’s betrayal, your scarred hands…”

Makoto’s eyes drooped as he was saddened not just by the thought that such an amazing woman had struggled so much, but that it was Tsumugi who told everyone instead of Kyoko trusting him enough to tell him privately.

“You’re a smart, talented, and beautiful woman, Kyoko, and I’m so sorry you had to struggle so much…”

Ignoring the fluttering within her heart, Kyoko shook her head and denied “I’m **not** beautiful; my scars are ugly!”

Makoto shook his head and denied “No, you **are** beautiful, Kyoko. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met! But even the fact that you’re fighting me on this proves that your feelings about your hands are real! Your passion for Detective work is real!”

Kyoko gasped, latching onto Makoto’s words as he continued to talk to her.

“Remember when we found your Father’s skeleton in his private residence? How you told me to leave so you could collect yourself? I…I wanted to stay and help you…but I knew I had to respect your wishes. How could your sorrow and my desire to stay and be there for you possibly be fiction? And…I believe your Father loved you more than anything, and wanted to protect you, no matter what. If that wasn’t real, why would that photo of you as a little girl with him exist?”

_“Sweetie, stop being such a wiggle worm!”_

_“Look, I’m a birdie!”_

Kyoko gasped as she realized _I…I remember now…my Father and I…were happy…when I was a little girl…and it…it felt so…so real!_

As a hopeful smile crossed Kyoko’s lips, Makoto smiled in return, assuring her “I don’t know whether what Hiro said is true or not, not for certain anyway. One thing I do know for certain…is that my love for you is real!”

Maki rested her hands over her heart and closed her eyes, agreeing _…I agree…it’s the same as my love for that idiot…it’s real as well…_

Kyoko smile soon tugged into a frown however, causing Makoto to frown as she asked “…Makoto…our feelings…our love for each other…are they even real…? Tsumugi said that we dated during our time at Hope’s Peak Academy. So…what if that’s just another part of the fiction?”

Maki opened her eyes and narrowed them in determination while Shuichi bit his lip and cradled his chin in his hand in contemplation, mulling over his thoughts as he listened to Makoto and Kyoko’s conversation, waiting for it to play out. So deep in concentration was he that he failed to notice Maki walking away from her podium.

Meanwhile, Makoto told Kyoko “It doesn’t matter what Tsumugi says, or what Hiro says for that matter.”

“HEY!”

Makoto ignored Hiro’s outburst and continued “What matters is that I love you, and that flutter in my heart when I think of you is more real to me than anything else!”

Kyoko felt her heart flutter at his words as she stared at Makoto, though she felt her words leave her as she kept wondering _…What if it’s just a lie? It could all be a lie…couldn’t it…?_

“He’s right you know.” Makoto and Kyoko turned in shock as they saw Maki standing behind them, explaining “Kyoko…Makoto’s feelings are real…and your feelings are real…because I had those same feelings for a participant in this Killing Game. His name…was Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Astronaut.”

Maki smiled sadly, recalling all of her memories of the man who made her like herself again.

“I didn’t care about him at first…not at all. He was such a naïve idiot, but he dragged me to **training sessions** day in and day out to get me to trust others. And he slowly broke down my walls and made me feel like I was a person worth a damn instead of a coldhearted assassin. And before long…I fell in love with the idiot.”

Maki started to tear up, tears trickling down her cheeks as she recalled Kaito’s execution before opening her eyes and turning to stare at his portrait.

“But as you can see…he’s…he’s not here anymore. He…succumbed to an incurable illness just last night…and I’ll never even know if he returned my feelings.” She wiped her eyes before turning back to Makoto and Kyoko and telling them with a determined fire in her eyes “But there’s one thing I do know…my feelings for Kaito are real to me…and that’s all I need to know!”

Makoto’s eyes and Tanuki ears drooped in sadness, nodding as Sayaka’s smiling face flashed in his mind “I understand, Maki…I lost someone close to me in a Killing Game as well.”

Maki nodded, smiling appreciatively at Makoto as she thanked him “…Thank you…you’re too kind…in fact, you’re not so different from him…” Shaking the thought from her head, she addressed Kyoko “…Kyoko…Tsumugi has taunted us both about our feelings for the boys we love. Even though she’s been going on and on about how everything about us is fiction…that doesn’t mean we have to take what she says to heart. My feelings for Kaito are real, what do YOU feel is real?!”

 _What do I feel is real…?_ Kyoko closed her eyes, sorting through her memories until she started flashing back to her memories with Makoto.

_“I didn’t help out at all! I was totally useless!”_

_“Real Mecha Koopas, in the flesh!”_

_“Oh, I’m **so** gonna get you!”_

Kyoko opened her eyes, looking up at her boyfriend with her normal purple eyes as she gave him a loving, hopeful smile. Grinning at the sight of the love of his life back to her normal self, Makoto helped her to her feet before mashing his lips against her own in a hungry, loving kiss. As Makoto’s tongue forced its way into her mouth, Kyoko moaned in pleasure. 

The two wrapped their arms around each other in an equally hungry embrace before their tails started spinning, lifting them into the air as they spun. Hiro, Hina, Byakuya, and Toko smiled at their friends as the Racoon Lovers’ hearts fluttered in sync. Maki gasped in amazement before smiling, deciding to just roll with it as she rested her hands over her heart.

“Amazing! They have no jetpacks, but they seem to be defying gravity with just those fuzzy accessories!” Keebo commented.

“Nyeh…I could do that…but my mana’s too low…” Himiko boasted.

Shuichi stared, exclaiming to himself _What the hell…?! This defies all logic! …Then again…I’ll happily take something nonsensical like this over the Killing Game…_

“Nyooohohohohohohooooo!” Monokuma laughed “This is new! The power of love made Hope Boy and Nancy Drew fly?!”

“So they can fly…big whoop…” The Monokubs commented.

“Hush! What do you know? You’re just my adorable little cubs!”

“Y…yes, Father!”

Tsumugi’s eyes bulged out of her head, all speech and thought ripped from her as she gaped, trying in vain to process the sight in front of her.

At last, Makoto and Kyoko broke apart, gradually landing on their feet as they stared into each other’s eyes, love and hope swirling in their depths.

Kyoko cupped his cheeks with her palms, stroking him with her thumbs as she smiled bashfully, commenting “It feels nice, touching you with my hands instead of hiding behind my gloves…I should…do this more often…thank you for bringing me back from the depths of despair, Makoto…” She turned her head to face Maki and nodded “And it appears I owe you a debt of gratitude as well…Maki…”

Maki nodded “…Happy to help…Kyoko.”

Makoto smiled, nodding “Don’t mention it; I’ll do whatever it takes to save my Princess!”

Kyoko giggled before a feminine voice shrieked “HOW?!” The others turned to Tsumugi, a look of baffled fury on her face as she screeched “THIS ISN’T POSSIBLE! I CHECKED THIS TRIAL ROOM MYSELF! THERE’S NO INVISIBLE WIRES! THERE’S NO WAY YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLY!”

Kyoko smirked smugly and retorted “It helps to have Racoon Powers from the Mushroom Kingdom.”

Tsumugi sputtered “TH…TH…THAT’S TOTAL BS! SUPER MARIO BROS ISN’T EVEN THE SAME GENRE AS DANGANRONPA! YOU SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO BRING THOSE POWER-UPS HERE!”

“I beg to differ…” Byakuya stated simply as he materialized a golden fireball in the palm of his hand while Toko materialized a hammer and Hina did an unnaturally high flip, landing just behind Tsumugi.

“…Boo.”

“EEK!” Tsumugi screeched, making Hina giggle before she flipped back over to her friends.

“…Amazing…” Shuichi, Maki, Himiko, and Keebo muttered at the show in front of them.

Once she recovered from her shock, Tsumugi started stomping and screaming “NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! IT’S NOT FAIR! YOU ALL HAVE TOTALLY DERAILED MY SCRIPT FOR DANGANRONPA V3!” She pointed at Class 78th and exclaimed “I WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!”

As Tsumugi hyperventilated, the others sweatdropped, while Makoto realized _I’ve seen that look in her eyes before…she’s been pushed into a corner, but she won’t accept defeat. Then…I’ll just have to **make** her accept defeat._

Kyoko walked next to him, threading their fingers together as they smiled at each other while their friends assembled behind them.

Makoto narrowed his eyes and pointed his free hand at Tsumugi, proclaiming “Tsumugi, if you won’t accept the truth…then I’ll **make** you accept it…”

“That’s wrong!”

“Huh?” 

Class 78th turned to face Shuichi, whose eyes were narrowed in his own determined expression as he walked up to them and insisted “This is our fight, our Class Trial. Tsumugi has killed so many of our friends…Kaito, Kokichi, Gonta, Miu, Kiyo, Tenko, Angie, Kirumi, Ryoma, Rantaro…and Kaede…for all our friends who couldn’t make it this far…we owe it to them to finish this with our own hands…” Shuichi suddenly smiled as he finished “…but we wouldn’t mind a little help, if you were willing to offer.”

Everyone else except for Tsumugi, Momokuma, and the Monokubs smiled and nodded in agreement.

“I’m glad to see you’re on our side…as an Ultimate Detective, it would be foolish of me not to accept assistance, especially with so much riding on this class trial. We can’t let Tsumugi do as she pleases any longer.”

Kyoko nodded “Indeed, and perhaps having two Ultimate Detectives on this case would be the most efficient way to stop Tsumugi.”

The others nodded as Maki, Himiko, and Keebo moved to stand behind Shuichi, paralleling how Byakuya, Hina, Toko, and Hiro stood behind Makoto, the two protagonists staring and smiling at each other.

Tsumugi stared at the dual surviving casts, foaming at the mouth in disbelief before she took a deep breath, her panic dissipating before she vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing as a tall, brown-haired boy, not dissimilar from Makoto, yet different.

“You think that joining forces will stop the Killing Game?” She then transformed into a girl with curved, mauve hair and continued “That’s unlikely…I think…” She then turned into a girl with streaks of blue, black, white, and pink hair, with some of it arranged into two horns on her head, before exclaiming “DANGANRONPA WILL ROCK ON FOREVER!”

She then turned into a more obese variant of Byakuya, making the Ultimate Affluent Progeny sweatdrop in disappointment.

“Even if you work together…” She then transformed into an elegant, exotic, blond-haired teenage girl and continued “The fans will never allow it to stop!” Next she transformed into a short boy in a chef’s uniform and insisted with an obviously perverted tone that made al the girls shiver “The fans will **always** be… **hungry** …for more Danganronpa…” She then turned into a black-haired young man whose buff physique could give Mondo a run for his money as she yelled “…AND THE ULTIMATE CHOICE THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE!”

She vanished into a puff of smoke, reappearing as a boy with spiky, wavy white hair, smiling as she asked “So…will you choose hope…” She then turned into the Makoto look-alike, but with long, flowing black hair as she asked “…or despair?”

As Tsumugi returned to normal, Shuichi turned to Makoto and asked “Um…Makoto…who…were those people?”

“Hey, she cosplayed so fast I could barely keep up! And I have no idea who any of those guys were.”

Kyoko cradled her chin in her hand, contemplating the matter until she concluded “I think I saw them in a file in the Headmaster’s Office…they were…the 77th Class of Hope’s Peak Academy.”

Byakuya nodded “I saw that file too, when we were investigating for the final Class Trial. There was also information about a Reserve Course Student…most likely that boy who bore a resemblance to Makoto…but I don’t know who that last cosplay was based off of.”

The others nodded as Monokuma shrugged “Hey, we had to make a Goodbye Despair reference somewhere!”

Tsumugi smirked as she proclaimed “Well…this final battle is gonna be interesting…I’ll finally get to use all my knowledge about Danganronpa!”

As Tsumugi disappeared in a puff of white smoke and reappeared as Junko again, Toko heard a voice in her head, suggesting _“Let’s shred this bitch’s clothes!”_ *Ah-choo!*

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!” Jill cackled, withdrawing her scissors from the shell on her back as she exclaimed “Let’s shred this bitch’s clothes!”

“EEK!”

Tsumugi and Jill vanished in a blue and purple blur, a dust cloud obscuring their forms for the next thirty seconds until the dust finally settled. Everyone’s eyes widened as Jill walked away, leaving a nearly naked Tsumugi surrounded by shreds of clothing as she whimpered in her black bra, panties, and stockings, wrapping her arms around her body in an attempt to preserve her modesty.

“AAH! MY COSPLAY COSTUMES! THEY’VE BEEN RIPPED TO SHREDS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD I WORKED ON THOSE?! EVERY FINE DETAIL TO REPLICATE YOUR APPEARANCES…TOTALLY RUINED! WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!” 

Jill merely smirked at Tsumugi before turning back to her friends and smiling cutely, doing a mock bow before winking at Byakuya as she told them “You’re welcome…” 

Tsumugi sniffled “…You could have at least left me my original dress!”

“…No…” *Ah-choo!*

“Huh? Wh…what happened?”

“You shredded Tsumugi’s disguises…” Byakuya smiled as he finished “That was good work, Toko.”

“M…Master…” Toko smiled, blushing at the praise from her beloved Byakuya. “Finally…I’m…I’m useful!”

 _“… **We’re** useful, Miss Morose.”_ Toko heard Jill say in her mind, making her sniffle in joy as she struggled to hold her happy tears at bay.

The others sweatdropped before Shuichi commented “…Anyway…now Tsumugi can’t hide behind her costumes anymore.”

Makoto nodded, agreeing “Now she’ll have to face us without any of her disguises.”

Tsumugi trembled in anger as she muttered “This is the last straw…you barge into my show, derail my script…and now you leave me nearly **naked?!** Steamy scenes are supposed to be strictly optional! Well, if you’re going to just come and break my show…then I’ll just break YOU! Screw the Class Trial, it’s Punishment Time! Monokubs, Attack!”

“Got it, Boss…Agh!” The Monokubs shrieked before being silenced forever by a golden fireball, lazily thrown by Byakuya.

As Tsumugi and the other V3 survivors gaped in shock as the Monokubs exploded into gold coins, Byakuya muttered “Finally…those guys were annoying. At least Monokuma has the advantage of being cunning…”

One of the coins rolled to a stop at Tsumugi’s feet, causing her to pick it up and inspect it out of curiosity.

“I…incredible…it looks and feels so real…Wait! This isn’t possible! This isn’t real! You’re not real!”

“Just chill, alright?” Hiro tried to calm her down “We’ve already proven that we’re real people. What more proof do you need…”

“Wait, your remark just gave me an idea, Hiro.” Keebo pointed out “Tsumugi said that she can’t cosplay as real people due to her Cos-pox.” 

Seeing Class 78th stare at Keebo with baffled expressions, Shuichi sweatdropped and realized “Oh right, you weren’t with us for this Killing School Semester. Anyway, when Tsumugi tries to cosplay as real people, it causes her to break out in hideous rashes.”

“Th…that’s so s…stupid…”

Hina nodded and agreed with Toko “Yeah…a skin condition that triggers when you cosplay as real people? There’s no way that’s true!”

Makoto’s brow furrowed in concentration before he asked “Shuichi, did you see this Cos-pox for yourself?”

“Well…not personally, no. Only Kaede saw it before she got wrongfully executed.”

Kyoko’s brow also furrowed in confusion as she mused “I see…so Tsumugi allegedly has a skin condition that only she and someone already deceased can confirm. That’s suspicious indeed…” Kyoko smirked as she proposed “In that case, I’d like to test Tsumugi’s claim.”

“Huh?” Tsumugi asked fearfully as Kyoko bent down to collect her discarded gloves, slipping one on her hand before walking over to Tsumugi, holding it in front of her.

“Put it on.”

Tsumugi began to sweat, stammering “B…but what will that a…accomplish?”

Kyoko narrowed her eyes and demanded “Put the glove on your hand.”

Seeing that nobody was going to help her, Tsumugi sighed and snatched the glove away, slipping it on her hand before she shrieked “AAH!” before ripping it off her and throwing it back at Kyoko, who caught it in midair with a smirk on her face, slipping it back on as she walked back over to her boyfriend.

The others gaped at the sight of Tsumugi’s hand covered in rashes as Kyoko explained “That settles it; Tsumugi’s Cos-pox was a big, fat lie. If I really was fictional, as she claimed, then my glove wouldn’t have caused such an adverse reaction. But as you saw, her hand was immediately covered in rashes. The only explanation would be that my glove and her costumes are made of completely different materials.”

Makoto’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed “Now I understand! Tsumugi must have an allergic reaction to most clothing materials, so she has to make her own!”

Shuichi nodded “That’s probably the truth; the Cos-pox was just a way to throw suspicion off her.” 

“…One last thing…” Tsumugi looked up at Kyoko, the Ultimate Cosplayer frantically scratching at the rash to make it go away as Kyoko finished “…Hibiki.”

“…Hi…Hibiki?”

“…That’s my Mother’s name; Hibiki Kirigiri, originally Hibiki Uzuchi.”

“Wh…what…a piece of Danganronpa character backstory…that I didn’t know…i…impossible…WAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

Tears streamed down Tsumugi’s face before Shuichi demanded “I have another question: how is it that you knew Makoto and Kyoko had a relationship before their Killing Game? Was it in a visual novel or a side game? Some side anime?”

Tsumugi continued to sweat as Makoto nodded “I’d like to know that as well.”

“I…It was just an a…assumption…I always shipped you two…so I thought it’d be natural that you always loved each other…”

 _There has to be some other explanation…now that Kyoko’s proven we’re real people, that whole excuse seems like a lie…she has to have known about us somehow. Otherwise there’s no way she would have been able to cosplay as all…of…us…I’ve got it!_ “I’ve got another question, Tsumugi. You’ve cosplayed as all of our deceased classmates, but you never once cosplayed as Mukuro Ikusaba. Not in her natural appearance, nor in her Junko disguise. So…why?”

Tsumugi gulped, sweating bullets as she turned to Monokuma, who bared his claws and taunted “Go ahead, Tsumugi, I **dare** you to answer that question.”

 _This is bad…this is very, very bad! I’ve gotta find a way to get my show back on track, regain control on the mastermind…wait! The final decision! Well, I was hoping to save this for a better climax, but desperate times call for desperate measures!_ Tsumugi burst into laugher as she exclaimed “It doesn’t matter what’s real or fictional anymore! This trial has already reached its end!”

 _No kidding…_ The survivors deadpanned as Tsumugi tapped her foot on the floor, causing a pillar with a big red button on top to rise until it reached her hand.

She then turned to face Shuichi as she exclaimed “It’s time to make a choice, Shuichi! Will you choose Hope? Or will you choose Despair?”

Shuichi bit his lip and told Makoto “I…I think it would be best to choose neither.” As Tsumugi gaped in shock, Shuichi explained “If we choose Hope or Despair, then this is just gonna continue for who knows how long?! It…it’s probably best…that we choose neither…so that we can finally put an end to Danganronpa’s insane killing games.”

Makoto nodded “I agree. I sided with Hope before because it was the only way to stop Junko and go into the outside world. But if these Killing Games just feed off the battle between Hope and Despair…it’s best to just walk away from it and let it suffocate on its own.”

Shuichi nodded before turning back to Tsumugi and declaring “Alright Tsumugi…I choose…”

“HUH?!” Everyone exclaimed as all the lights turned off, the trial room covered in complete darkness before the backup lights dimly lit up. “Wh…what just happened?”

“I…I don’t know…” Tsumugi stammered, taking out her smartphone and scrolling through it.

“Um…where’d you hide that anyway?” Hiro wondered. “Was that seriously in your panties?”

 _Eww…_ Everyone else thought, shivering in disgust before Tsumugi’s eyes widened as she shrieked.

“HOW?! DANGANRONPA…IT…IT…IT’S COMPLETELY OFFLINE! WIPED FROM THE NET! DESTROYED!” Her eyes narrowed in fury as she pointed at Makoto and Shuichi, accusing “YOU DESTROYED DANGANRONPA!”

“W…what are you talking about?” Shuichi asked.

“Yeah, we’re just as confused as you are!” Makoto agreed, only for Tsumugi to angrily point at them.

“Y…you’re lying…you have to by lying…you destroyed…”

“Nope! I destroyed Danganronpa!”

Everyone turned to stare at Monokuma in shock as Tsumugi stammered “Y…you can’t do that…!”

“WRONG! Whatever I create, I can destroy! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!” Monokuma laughed before his red eye dulled, the bear hunching over.

“What? Are you pretending to be broken again?” Byakuya taunted before smoke rose from below, obscuring Monokuma and his throne from view.

Makoto’s eyes widened in shock as he realized _This is what happened…during our last Class Trial. Could it be…_

“Upupupupupupup” *Hack Hoff*

His musings cut off by the laughter and coughing, Makoto watched with widened eyes, just like the others as the smoke cleared, revealing a tall, slender, blond haired old woman with streaks of grey in her hair. A pair of simple glasses shaped just like Byakuya’s rested on her nose as she stood dressed in a simple white blouse and black pants.

Kyoko’s eyes widened as she saw the cane that the new woman grasped in her hand for balance, thinking _That…that cane…_

As her coughing fit came to an end, the old lady walked up to the survivors, adjusting her glasses as she greeted “Well…it’s been a long time…but I’d know the lot of you anywhere.”

His eyes lighting up in realization, Makoto asked hesitant “So…you’re really…Junko…?”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out, Hope Boy.”

As Junko fell into another coughing fit, Byakuya demanded with a scowl “What the hell…what’s going on here! Why is Junko Enoshima alive…and real?!”

Junko sighed “…Man…I hate long-winded explanations…guess it’s unavoidable though…alright whippersnappers, listen up. Everything about the Ultimate Real Fiction was just one big lie that Tsumugi made up, since the theme for V3 was lies. Honestly, it was SO redundant! Why make a theme about lies when the whole point of a Killing Game is for the blackened to lie their pants off to escape?”

“I…I thought it was a good idea, Miss Junko…”

Junko glared at Tsumugi, silencing her as she commanded “Shut up.”

“Eek! Y…yes, Miss Junko!”

The others stared at the two Masterminds in confusion until Junko turned her attention back to them and pondered “Now, where was I? Oh yes, now I remember. Anyways, our first Killing Game was indeed real, but you guys must have come from another timeline. Even if the dorky costumes didn’t give it away, I know it’s the case because in this timeline, only Makoto, Kyoko, and myself survived.”

 _We…WE DIED?!_ Hina, Hiro, Byakuya, and Toko exclaimed in their heads, gaping at the news of their counterparts’ deaths.

“So, after the three of us escaped, it filled me with so much despair that I wanted to do more Killing Games. Some time afterwards, you two joined an organization dedicated to fighting me and my Remnants called the Future Foundation. Meanwhile, I started another Killing Game with Class 77th and Hajime Hinata, who was that Reserve Course student that the Steering Committee artificially infused with talent.”

“I see…” Kyoko mused “…I thought I read something about a Kamukura Project…”

“Yeah…they named him Izuru Kamukura…anyway, the Future Foundation failed to stop me and caused all sixteen of them to die. Afterwards, I decided I needed the third Killing Game to include my remaining beloved classmates as participants…plus I needed to really stick it to the Future Foundation. So for Danganronpa 3, I forced the Future Foundation Division Heads into a different kind of Killing Game, which ended with Makoto as the only survivor. You only made it out alive because Kyoko allowed herself to die in order to ensure your survival.”

Makoto and Kyoko’s faces turned pale at the revelation of Kyoko’s counterpart’s death, with Makoto flashing back to Princess Zelda’s attack, thinking _Kyoko…she sacrificed herself…for my other self…would my Kyoko…do that too?!_

As Makoto and Kyoko’s hearts broke at the thought of living without the other, Junko continued “Anyway, without his beloved Detective, Makoto was consumed by rage and swore vengeance on me and my Killing Games. His ferocity came to an end on the 10th anniversary of the first Killing Game, during Danganronpa 10: Birth of Despair which resulted in his death, along with that of the Future Foundation.”

Kyoko closed her eyes, letting a single tear trickle down her cheek as she silently mourned the death of her beloved’s counterpart.

“So with none of my classmates around to stop me, the post-Tragedy world soon picked up greedy sponsors, and the Killing Games became a global phenomenon with millions of viewers. Life was good, until Danganronpa 42 where an accident on set caused me to break my leg and I had to walk around with a cane after it healed. 

Opening her eyes, Kyoko focused on Junko’s cane and deduced “That cane…that’s my Grandfather’s, isn’t it?”

Junko nodded “Smart cookie, like always. Yeah, after I killed him in his old detective agency, I moved into his mansion and found it there. Oh, and I should also mention I found your old diary where you wrote about your adventures with Yui.”

 _I see…now I understand…how Tsumugi knew so much about us…_ Kyoko realized, the gears turning in her brain as she started to put the pieces together.

“Alright, back on topic; from then on, an organization calling themselves Team Danganronpa took over production…and their seasons SUCKED! They kept rehashing old storylines; it was like the reboot problem on steroids! I was seriously considering pulling the plug on this whole operation until Danganronpa V2 happened where Tsumugi starred as the main heroine along with the protagonist Rantaro Amami.”

“HUH?!” Shuichi, Maki, Himiko, and Keebo exclaimed in shock while Tsumugi smiled nostalgically.

“Yeah, V2 was great…because Rantaro and I fell in love at the end of that season.”

“…But…you killed Rantaro!” Shuichi exclaimed, shocked at Tsumugi’s romantic confession.

Forgetting her nearly nude state, Tsumugi stood proudly, placing her hands on her hips and replying “Of course my love for Danganronpa was greater, but isn’t there something romantic about the one you love dying in order to keep the show going?”

“…YOU…” Maki seethed, her and Shuichi shooting death glares towards Tsumugi, causing her to shriek in fear and run behind Junko.

“…Anyway, it really breathed new life into Danganronpa, which satisfied me enough to give it a second chance.”

Makoto cocked his head in confusion before he asked “Wait, if you wanted to breathe new life into your Killing Games, why did you destroy it just now?”

“Because, this was a test to see if Tsumugi could be an adequate successor and make the Killing Games more interesting…but she totally failed because she cheated in Chapter One by executing the initial protagonist Kaede Akamatsu for a crime she didn’t commit! At least when I used underhanded tactics to get Kiri killed, I still operated within the confines of the rules!”

“B…but…” Tsumugi stammered, only for Junko to cut her off.

“Plus she just rehashed ideas from Goodbye Despair and all the twists were so boring and predictable. I mean, hello? Having Kiyo be the blackened for both Angie and Tenko’s deaths? You had such potential to deviate from tradition and have there be two blackeneds, and you just fell back of tired tropes!” Junko took a deep breath, calming down before she continued “Anyway…I told myself that if Tsumugi here failed to impress, then I’d pull the plug on Danganronpa forever.”

Tsumugi gaped at Junko and stammered “B…but Miss J…Junko…my script was flaw…flawless…”

“Sorry, but it wasn’t flawless!” Junko retorted in a sing-song voice. “Besides, nothing’s perfect, you know. That’s what made the Killing Games so exciting; you never truly know what’ll happen. If they were perfect, they’d be boring and predictable. In your case…I’ll admit your concepts weren’t half bad, but your execution left SO MUCH to be desired. Seriously, what was the point of using the History of Hope’s Peak Academy book and cosplaying as my deceased friends and upperclassmen?!”

“I…I thought it would be good fanservice to have the original Ultimates be on my first script of Danganronpa!” 

“…Wouldn’t it have made more sense for you to cosplay as Kaede and Kaito and all the others who died in **this** Killing Game? At least then it would have made your claim about everyone being fictional more impactful.” Junko pointed out, causing Tsumugi to stare incredulously at her predecessor.

“…Baka…” Junko groaned, facepalming as Shuichi, Maki, Himiko, and Keebo glared at the two Masterminds in disgust.

“Wh…why are you calling me a baka? I’m positive my script was the perfect throwback to your glory days!” She pointed angrily at Class 78th and exclaimed “And it would have been perfect if these crossover rejects hadn’t interfered!”

Everyone sweatdropped at Tsumugi before Junko sighed, shaking her head in disappointment and scolding “This is just sad, Shirogane. And not even the despairing kind of sad…just the pathetic kind of sad. This is why I objected to it at the pre-production meeting…but I got outvoted by Team Danganronpa. At least I got them to agree to not let her cosplay as Mukuro during this season…” 

_So that’s why she never cosplayed as Mukuro…_ Makoto realized.

She turned back to the joint survivors and continued “So as soon as I knew Tsumugi had failed, I made sure to make an Alter Ego program to wipe out everything related to Danganronpa upon the conclusion of this Killing Game. Team Danganronpa would have continued with this shitshow even if I left and Tsumugi took over, so this was my **fuck you** to them.”

“W…wait…then that means…”

Junko grinned and nodded “That’s right; Team Danganronpa is powerless, and with countless murders on our hands, the United Nations is gonna be hunting us down like rats!”

As Tsumugi whimpered in fear, Junko walked away, raising her free hand in the air as she said “Whatever, I’m done with this crap. I’m bored of the Killing Games. I’m bored of my multiple personalities. I’m even bored of Despair.”

 _JUNKO BORED OF DESPAIR?!_ The Class 78th survivors thought in shock.

“Hey…where are you going?!” Shuichi demanded.

“Oh, me? I’ll just go to my Manor and get in touch with my inner crazy cat lady until I either get arrested and executed, or die of old age.”

 _…You mean MY manor? And you’re telling me it smells of cats now?!_ Kyoko grumbled to herself.

“W..wait! Take me with you, please!” Tsumugi begged as she crawled over and latched onto Junko’s leg, only for the former Ultimate Despair to bop her on the head with the end of Fuhito’s cane.

Junko sighed as she walked back onto the hatch from whence she came, disappearing from view as she muttered “…I seriously regret offing Muku…good help is so hard to find these days…”

The others sweatdropped as Tsumugi shakily turned her head to face the survivors, angry tears streaming from her eyes as she opened her mouth.

*BAM*

A sickening crack could be heard as Maki’s fist collided with Tsumugi’s face, causing her eyes to spin as a goofy grin stretched from ear to ear, the Ultimate Cosplayer slurring “…Look at the pretty stars…” before promptly passing out on the floor.

“…That was for Kaito…” Maki concluded, blowing on her fist with a satisfied smile. She then turned to Kyoko and commented “…Ironic…you offered to give her a black eye before, yet I ended up being the one to deck her.”

Kyoko nodded, replying “…Thank you…”

Shuichi, Himiko, and Keebo smiled approvingly as they turned to the Class 78th survivors, Makoto asking as he scratched his cheek nervously “So…what happens now?”

“Well…” Shuichi began “We should probably take Tsumugi outside so we can turn her in to the police.”

The others nodded before Hiro grinned and gloated “Well, looks like my revelation about the existence of other worlds beat the Mastermind and saved the day!”

Byakuya scoffed “Please, you didn’t save anyone, you plebian. Ironically enough, it was Junko who ultimately debunked Tsumugi’s claim about us being fictional.”

“Hey! Don’t be mean!”

“Well…” Makoto began awkwardly “…if it wasn’t for Hiro, I wouldn’t have broken free from despair, and I couldn’t have gotten the rest of you out of despair.” Makoto smiled at his girlfriend as he continued “And it was Kyoko who exposed Tsumugi’s lie, so she really deserves the credit.” Kyoko blushed, her tail nuzzling Makoto’s, making him blush in return before he finished “And we’re living, breathing proof that Hiro was right about other worlds. How else could we use our power-ups outside of the Mushroom Kingdom? And that means that Captain Toad and our other friends are real as well.”

“…Let’s…not try to overthink this, alright? We’ll just get a headache.”

Before Makoto could object to his girlfriend, Shuichi nodded “Agreed; we’ve had enough madness for a lifetime. So…what will you all do now?”

“Well…we have to get home with the Magenti-Sta…” Makoto felt his pockets in a panic, exclaiming “Hey, where’s the Magenti-Star?!”

“OHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Hiro screamed.

“H…how could you lose something so i…important?!” Toko scolded.

“Hey! It’s not my fault!” Makoto defended, holding up his hands in surrender.

“Don’t panic, guys! Quickly, maybe it’s hiding somewhere in the trial room! Let’s investigate until we find it!” Hina suggested before she, Hiro, and Toko began tearing the room apart, frantically trying to find their ticket home.

Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya sweatdropped, Byakuya sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose, muttering “…Imbeciles…it’ll be easier if we just retrace our steps. We stood in the middle of this trial room when we appeared.”

Kyoko nodded “Then we saw Shuichi and the others…”

Makoto agreed “And then we freaked out at the sight of Monokuma and Tsumugi…”

“Nyeh…is this what you’re looking for?” Himiko asked as she walked up to them, everyone stopping to stare at her with gaping jaws as she took off her witch’s hat to reveal the Magenti-Star sitting on her head. She took it off with her free hand, offering it to Makoto as she explained “It was floating around when we were focused on Tsumugi, and it was so pretty, I thought I could use it with my magic as a distraction in case things got really bad. But…since it’s yours, you can have it back now. Thank you for helping to avenge Tenko, Angie, Kaito, and Kaede’s deaths.”

The Class 78th survivors sighed in relief, Makoto smiling and accepting it as he nodded “Thank you, Himiko.” He and Shuichi smiled as the junior Ultimate Detective walked up to him, the two protagonists shaking hands as the Racoon Luckster thanked “Thanks, Shuichi.”

Shuichi averted his eyes bashfully and denied “Oh, uh…we didn’t really do all that much. We need to be thanking you guys for all the help.”

Kyoko and Maki rolled their eyes before approaching each other as well, the elder Detective nodding “Well, now that we have our power source back, we should be on our way. We wish you luck in the outside world, whatever it is.”

Maki nodded stoically “…I’ll return the favor someday.”

Everyone smiled as the Magenti-Star pulsed with energy once more, floating above Class 78th as a magenta flash engulfed the room, causing Shuichi, Maki, Himiko, and Keebo to cover their eyes with their arms to avoid being blinded. When at last they lowered their arms, they looked around to see that their new friends had completely vanished, leaving them and Tsumugi alone in the trial room.

“Nyeh…that was **some** twist…” Himiko commented, causing Shuichi to nod in agreement.

Maki sighed and walked over to Tsumugi, throwing the Mastermind over her shoulder like a sack of rice as she suggested “Let’s get going…”

Shuichi and Himiko followed her to the elevator while Keebo stared at the spot where the Class 78th survivors last stood, muttering “I wish you safe travels on your journey”, before he hurried to join his companions, the four friends smiling as they realized that the Killing School Semester was finally over.


End file.
